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 below lists the grade levels indicated by the TABE (Tests of Adult Basic Education) scores of those inmates admitted into prison during FY 2004-05. 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 (13.2%) was the 6th grade.

Testing Education Grade Level at Admission (First Tests of Adult Basic Education [TABE] Scores for FY 2004-05)
Grade Level	Male	Female	Total	Percent	Cumulative Percent
1	565	40	605	2.1%	2.1%
2	2,073	174	2,247	7.9%	10.1%
3	2,563	255	2,818	10.0%	20.0%
4	2,248	272	2,520	8.9%	28.9%
5	3,273	449	3,722	13.1%	42.1%
6	3,275	460	3,735	13.2%	55.3%
7	1,906	258	2,164	7.6%	62.9%
8	1,603	254	1,857	6.6%	69.5%
9	3,124	381	3,505	12.4%	81.8%
10	657	133	790	2.8%	84.6%
11	1,401	264	1,665	5.9%	90.5%
12	2,316	366	2,682	9.5%	100.0%
Data Unavailable	3,673	221	3,894
TOTAL	28,677	3,527	32,204	100.0%	100.0%
Median	6.4	7.0	6.4

The table below groups the grade levels of the inmates admitted during FY 2004- 05 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).
  
  
• Over twenty-seven percent of the inmates were classified as having functional literacy skills (6.0 to 8.9 grade levels).

Tested Literacy Skill Levels at Admission (First Tests of Adult Basic Education [TABE] for FY 2004-05)
Literary Skill Level	White Males	White Females	Black Males	Black Females	Other Males	Other Females	Total	Percent	Cumulative Percent
Basic Literacy (1.0 to 5.9)	6,670	461	6,825	690	227	39	11,912	42.1%	42.1%
Functional Literacy (6.0 to 8.9)	3,383	603	3,261	340	140	29	7,756	27.4%	69.5%
GED Prep (9.0 to 12.9)	5,155	927	2,196	195	147	22	8,642	30.5%	100.0%
Data Unavailable	1,723	122	1,672	86	278	13	3,894
TOTAL	13,931	2,113	13,954	1,311	792	103	32,204	100.0%	100.0%
MEDIAN	7.8	8.4	5.6	5.6	6.3	6.3	6.4