Examining the Quality of Individualised Education Programmes in Special Schools Across North Central Nigeria

This study critically examines the quality of Individualised Education Programmes in special schools across North Central Nigeria, applying a structured quality evaluation framework to assess whether existing programmes meet established standards of specificity, measurability, family participation, and interdisciplinary collaboration. While Individualised Education Programmes are widely prescribed in Nigerian special education policy, the actual quality of those that exist has not been systematically evaluated, creating a significant evidence gap regarding the effectiveness of this core special education tool. Adopting a mixed-methods design, the study analyses two hundred Individualised Education Programme documents from thirty special schools in Plateau, Niger, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, and Kwara States using a validated IEP Quality Evaluation Rubric. Content analysis provides a quantitative quality score for each document, while purposive sampling of twelve IEPs representing the range of quality scores informs a qualitative deep-analysis phase. Teacher interviews add practitioner perspective on the IEP development process. The study assesses quality dimensions including present level of performance documentation, goal measurability, service specification, transition planning, and evidence of family signature. Findings are expected to reveal predominantly low-quality IEPs lacking measurable goals and evidence of genuine family collaboration. Recommendations include developing a nationally standardised IEP quality assurance protocol and providing specialised IEP writing training for special educators in all North Central states. Keywords: Individualised Education Programme, quality evaluation, special schools, North Central Nigeria, mixed methods.