Median Grade Level Achieved by Inmates Tested Was 6.9

Periodically, inmates are tested to determine their educational grade level in the form of a school grade level. The table on the right shows the grade levels for the most recent TABE scores of the inmate prison population on June 30, 2010. 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 6.9, compared with 6.2 for  inmates who were admitted to prison in FY 2009-10.

• The bottom table groups the grade levels of the June 30, 2010 prison population into three different categories: basic literacy, functional literacy, or GED Prep.  Again, inmates with unavailable data were not included in the analysis.

• Six of every ten inmates who were tested on June 30, 2010 (64.4%) had not achieved GED Prep literacy skills (scored less than the ninth grade level).

• Only 35.6% 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, 2010)
Grade Level	Male	Female	Total	Percent	Cumulative Percent
1 - 5	35,993	1,968	37,961	39.1%	39.1%
6	10,003	714	10,717	11.1%	50.2%
7	6,393	522	6,915	7.1%	57.3%
8	6,323	568	6,891	7.1%	64.4%
9	9,331	884	10,215	10.6%	75.0%
10	3,958	355	4,313	4.5%	79.5%
11	6,564	747	7,311	7.6%	87.1%
12	11,212	1,248	12,460	12.9%	100.0%
Data Unavailable	5,311	138	5,449
Total	95,088	7,144	102,232	100.0%	100.0%
Median	6.7	8.3	6.9

Tested Literacy Skill Levels (Most Recent Tests of Adult Basic Education [TABE] Scores as of June 30, 2009)
Literacy Skill Level	White Males	White Females	Black Males	Black Females	Other Males	Other Females	Total	Percent	Cumulative Percent
Basic Literacy (1.0-5.9)	11,135	802	23,242	1,086	1,616	80	37,961	39.2%	39.2%
Functional Literacy (6.0-8.9)	9,758	1,021	12,238	732	723	51	24,523	25.3%	64.5%
GED Prep (9.0-12.9)	19,449	2,459	10,739	679	877	96	34,299	35.5%	100.0%
Missing	2,896	82	1,684	42	731	14	5,449
Total	43,238	4,364	47,903	2,539	3,947	241	102,232	100.0%	100.0%
Median	8.6	9.5	5.9	6.3	5.9	7.8	6.9