Inmates Tested at Around the 6th Grade Level
Almost 71% 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 2007-08. 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 6.3.
  
  

Testing Education Grade Level at Admission (First Tests of Adult Basic Education [TABE] Scores)
Grade Level	Male	Female	Total	Percent	Cumulative Percent
1-5	15,088	1,438	16,526	45.3%	45.3%
6	4,085	518	4,603	12.6%	57.9%
7	2,155	329	2,484	6.8%	64.7%
8	1,878	341	2,219	6.1%	70.8%
9	3,063	458	3,521	9.7%	80.5%
10	903	189	1,092	3.0%	83.5%
11	1,883	324	2,207	6.1%	89.6%
12	3,101	680	3,781	10.4%	100.0%
Data Unavailable	4,287	334	4,621
Total	36,443	4,611	41,054	100.0%	100.0%
Median	6.2	7.5	6.3

The table below groups the grade levels of the inmates admitted during FY 2007-08 into three different categories - basic literacy, functional literacy, and GED Prep skills. Again, inmates with unavailable data were not included in the analysis.

• Almost 71% had less than GED Prep skills (less than 9.0 grade level).
  
  
• A little over twenty-five percent of the admissions 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])
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)	5,340	587	9,198	807	550	44	16,526	45.4%	45.4%
Functional Literacy (6.0 to 8.9)	4,156	717	3,769	446	193	25	9,306	25.5%	70.9%
GED Prep (9.0 to 12.9)	6,146	1,329	2,619	282	185	40	10,601	29.1%	100.0%
Data Unavailable	2,024	180	1,832	135	431	19	4,618
TOTAL	17,666	2,813	17,418	1,670	1,359	128	41,054	100.0%	100.0%
MEDIAN	7.4	9.1	5.4	5.9	5.4	7.3	6.3