Florida Department of Corrections
Michael D. Crews, Secretary

Periodically inmates are tested to determine their educational grade level in the form of a school grade level. The table below shows the grade levels for the most recent TABE scores of the inmate population on June 30, 2001, which is the last day of the fiscal year. Inmates with unavailable data were not included in the analysis.

• Of all scores analyzed, the median test score (half the scores were above and half were below this score) was 7.3, compared with 6.3 for inmates who were admitted to prison in FY 2000-01.
  
  
• The tested grade level achieved most often (12.8%) was the twelfth grade, compared to a tested grade level of fifth grade (13.9%) for inmates admitted in FY 2000-01.
  
  

The next table groups the grade levels of the June 30, 2001 prison population into three different categories: basic literacy, functional literacy, or GED Prep, per Florida Statute 239.301. Again, inmates with unavailable data were not included in the analysis.

• Six of every ten inmates who were tested on June 30, 2001 (62.7%) had not achieved GED Prep literacy skills (scored less than the ninth grade level).
  
  
• Over thirty-seven percent (37.3%) had GED Prep literacy skills (ninth grade literacy skills or better).
  
  

Tested Education Grade Level (MOST RECENT TESTS OF ADULT BASIC EDUCATION [TABE] SCORES AS OF JUNE 30, 2001)
Grade Level	Males	Females	Total	Percent	Cumulative Percent
1	1,458	64	1,522	2.3%	2.3%
2	4,413	295	4,708	7.1%	9.4%
3	5,361	369	5,730	8.6%	18.0%
4	4,783	305	5,088	7.7%	25.7%
5	6,986	490	7,476	11.3%	37.0%
6	6,608	512	7,120	10.7%	47.7%
7	4,543	321	4,864	7.3%	55.1%
8	4,816	247	5,063	7.6%	62.7%
9	7,083	442	7,525	11.4%	74.1%
10	3,890	227	4,117	6.2%	80.3%
11	4,313	287	4,600	6.9%	87.2%
12	7,941	520	8,461	12.8%	100.0%
Data Unavailable	5,567	166	5,733
TOTAL	67,762	4,245	72,007	100.0%	100.0%
Median	7.3	7.0	7.3	100.0%	100.0%

Tested Literacy Skill Levels (MOST RECENT TESTS OF ADULT BASIC EDUCATION [TABE] SCORES AS OF JUNE 30, 2001)
Literacy Skill Level	White Males	White	Black Males	Black	Other Males	Other	Total	Percent	Cumulative Percent
Beginning Basic Literacy(1.0-4.9)	3,834	237	11,726	741	455	55	17,048	25.7%	25.7%
Functional Literacy (5.0-8.9)	8,243	618	14,286	878	424	74	24,523	37.0%	62.7%
GED Prep(9.0-12.9)	14,372	1,022	8,440	381	415	73	24,703	37.3%	100.0%
Data Unavailable	2,924	58	2,332	68	311	40	5,733
TOTAL	29,373	1,935	36,784	2,068	1,605	242	72,007	100.0%	100.0%
Median	9.4	9.5	6.1	5.9	6.3	6.4	7.3