Inmate Admissions Test
at Median Grade Level of 6.4; 70% 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 2003-04. 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 6.4.
  
  
• The tested grade level achieved most often (13.5%) was the 5th grade.

Testing Education Grade Level at Admission (First Tests of Adult Basic Education [TABE] Scores for FY 2003-04)
Grade Level	Male	Female	Total	Percent	Cumulative Percent
1	462	45	507	1.8%	1.8%
2	1,867	197	2,064	7.3%	9.1%
3	2,448	297	2,745	9.7%	18.8%
4	2,238	270	2,508	8.9%	27.6%
5	3,370	443	3,813	13.5%	41.1%
6	3,192	451	3,643	12.9%	54.0%
7	1,958	235	2,193	7.7%	61.7%
8	1,697	216	1,913	6.8%	68.5%
9	2,866	379	3,245	11.5%	79.9%
10	814	107	921	3.3%	83.2%
11	1,488	222	1,710	6.0%	89.2%
12	2,712	344	3,056	10.8%	100.0%
Data Unavailable	3,446	132	3,578
TOTAL	28,558	3,338	31,896	100.0%	100.0%
Median	6.4	6.6	6.4

The table below groups the grade levels of the inmates admitted during FY 2003-04 into three different categories -- basic literacy, functional literacy, and GED Prep skills. Again, inmates with unavailable data were not included in the analysis.

• Almost 70.0% 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 2003-04)
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)	2,028	273	4,844	505	143	31	7,824	27.6%	27.6%
Functional Literacy (5.0 to 8.9)	4,517	716	5,496	598	204	31	11,562	40.8%	68.5%
GED Prep (9.0 to 12.9)	5,388	819	2,369	218	123	15	8,932	31.5%	100.0%
Data Unavailable	1,657	68	1,485	56	304	8	3,578
TOTAL	13,590	1,876	14,194	1,377	774	85	31,896	100.0%	100.0%
MEDIAN	8.3	8.3	5.7	5.7	6.2	5.8	6.4