Last week, Standard and Poor's released its newest analysis of the performance of the charter schools run by Central Michigan University (CMU). The results are mixed. Though average passing rates on state tests taken by students in CMU charter schools in 2002 lagged behind the state average, over half of these charter schools serve more economically disadvantaged students than the average Michigan school. In addition, most CMU charter schools have fewer resources than local public schools. Yet even while spending some $1,500 less per student, 14 of the 56 CMU charter schools still managed to outperform schools in their local district. Results are available online at http://www.ses.standardandpoors.com.
"S&P: New Michigan Charter School Reports Available online," Press Release, April 24, 2003