GOWANDA — During a recent board of education meeting, Gowanda Central School board of education members learned just how many students receive special education services — and how many end up earning their Regents diploma, despite the challenges they face.

Janine Jalal, director of special education, provided the board with a detailed special education report that provided data ranging from her first year at the district (2010-11) to the present. While enrollment changes frequently, Jalal noted that the number of students is approximately the same as it was eight years ago at 194 students. Importantly, this number can vary by as much as 20 or 30 students in any given year, she said.

“Of those 194 students who are classified, we have approximately 15 students that are considered ungraded, meaning they take alternative assessments,” Jalal explained. “They have developmental disabilities that preclude state tests, so they will not receive a Regents diploma. But every single other student is working towards a local Regents diploma,” Jalal was pleased to report.

Of the students currently classified, Jalal reported that 41 percent have a learning disability, 23 percent have a speech/language impairment and 20 percent have other health impairments. She added that the remaining percentage of students have high-functioning autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or other medical or behavioral diagnoses that impact a student’s ability to function in an educational environment. Though not a fan of the label, Jalal said students with “emotional disturbances” comprise a small number of the 194 students.

During the past eight years, special education enrollment was the lowest during the 2015-16 school year with 176 students. Jalal added that now, early intervention is occurring in grades preK through four to avoid the “wait to fail” system of the past.

“A big percentage come from preschool,” she stated. “The goal is to intervene early, which comes from outside agencies, too. Not all the students will need services when they come to kindergarten.”

Board President Cindy Sutherland asked Jalal to elaborate on the behavioral diagnoses that she sees. Jalal provided the board with a formal definition and expanded with examples. Behavioral classification is defined as “students who are unable to function in a classroom setting without additional support or behavior plans to such an extent that it impacts their learning,” said Jalal. In the elementary school, she explained, this involves how often students are off task or need refocusing prompts. “Students will have tantrums, throw chairs if they don’t get adult attention right away,” she added. “This changes as the kids get older, usually.” Jalal added that in the middle/high school, this is often reported as disruptions in the classrooms.

Board member Janet Vogtli was impressed with the number of students receiving special education services who are earning Regents diplomas. “Some of these kids — the ones who get Regents diplomas — people don’t know just how many do. People in the school know these things are happening, but people in the community don’t. It’s really good to know,” she said.

Superintendent Dr. Robert Anderson agreed. “Our teachers work extremely hard,” he said. “Look at the graduation rate we’ve had. Some of these kids are coming down the pipeline with all sorts of profound deficits. To get them to the end, with that rate of success, is pretty impressive.”

Anderson thanked Jalal, the teachers and the board of education for their hard work and support in getting students to the finish line.

The next meeting of the Gowanda School Board is tonight at 7 p.m. in the middle school library. The meeting will be preceded by a board workshop at 6 p.m.