Inmate Admissions Test at Median Grade level of 6.7; 66% Below GED Prep Level

When inmates come into prison, they are tested to determine their educational level in the form of a school grade level. The table on the right lists the grade levels indicated by the TABE (Tests of Adult Basic Education) scores of those inmates admitted into prison during FY 2002-03. Inmates with unavailable data were not included in the analysis.

• Of all the scores analyzed, the median test score (half the scores were above and half were below this score) was 6.7.
  
  
• The tested grade level achieved most often (13.2%) was the 5th grade.
  
  

Testing Education Grade Level at Admission (First Tests of Adult Basic Education [TABE] Scores for FY 2002-03)
Grade Level	Male	Female	Total	Percent	Cumulative Percent
1	372	36	408	1.6%	1.6%
2	1,629	177	1,806	7.1%	8.7%
3	2,021	244	2,265	8.9%	17.6%
4	1,884	233	2,117	8.3%	25.9%
5	3,003	352	3,355	13.2%	39.1%
6	2,883	345	3,228	12.7%	51.8%
7	1,679	213	1,892	7.4%	59.3%
8	1,521	177	1,698	6.7%	66.0%
9	2,448	243	2,691	10.6%	76.5%
10	807	81	888	3.5%	80.0%
11	1,630	168	1,798	7.1%	87.1%
12	2,963	316	3,279	12.9%	100.0%
Data Unavailable	3,224	233	3,457
TOTAL	26,064	2,818	28,882	100.0%	100.0%
Median	6.7	6.4	6.7

The table below groups the grade levels of the inmates admitted during FY 2002-03 into three different categories -- basic literacy, functional literacy, and GED Prep skills. Again, inmates with unavailable data were not included in the analysis.

• About two-thirds (66.0%) had less than GED Prep skills (less than 9.0 grade level).
  
  
• Forty percent of the inmates were classified as having functional literacy skills (5.0 to 8.9 grade levels).
  
  

Tested Literacy Skill Levels at Admission (First Tests of Adult Basic Education [TABE] for FY 2002-03)
Category	White Males	White Females	Black Males	Black Females	Other Males	Other Females	Total	Percent	Cumulative Percent
Beginning/Basic Literacy (1.0 to 4.9)	1,649	192	4,144	477	113	21	6,596	25.9%	25.9%
Functional Literacy (5.0 to 8.9)	3,913	567	5,037	479	136	41	10,173	40.0%	66.0%
GED Prep (9.0 to 12.9)	5,311	635	2,412	150	125	23	8,656	34.0%	100.0%
Data Unavailable	1,521	108	1,490	105	213	20	3457
TOTAL	12,394	1,502	13,083	1,211	587	105	28,882	100.0%	100.0%
MEDIAN	8.6	8.3	5.9	5.4	6.4	6.4	6.7