A new study by the American Legislative Exchange Council ranked Hawaii 49th in the nation when comparing results on national tests such as the SAT and ACT to spending on education.

According to the report, a majority of students in Hawaii public schools failed to meet proficiency levels in fourth- and eighth-grade mathematics and reading, and SAT and ACT scores remained flat, despite increases in public education spending.

Hawaii ranked 16th in the nation for spending per pupil. The state currently spends about $9,897 per student, while the national average is about $9,389. Meanwhile, Hawaii students earned an average of 983 on the SAT, ranking the state 49th in the nation. Hawaii's ACT scores ranked 26th in the nation.

Mississippi and the District of Columbia were the only two jurisdictions to rank lower than Hawaii in the report. Minnesota, Vermont and Massachusetts ranked at the top.

The Report Card on American Education is available at www.alec.org.