Compared to other states, Maine has had the largest growth in education spending in the past 20 years, but student achievement did not match that spending, a national study released Tuesday said.

One conclusion is that spending more on education does not necessarily lead to better education, Matt Warner of the American Legislative Exchange Council said Tuesday.

“If spending more per pupil led to higher achievement, you’d expect Maine to be No. 1,” Warner said.

ALEC found in its 13th Report Card on American Education that Maine ranked 18th out of 50 for academic achievement. That ranking was based on standardized test scores.

Last year Maine ranked 19th nationally, so the state moved up a notch, Warner said.

“This study looked at more traditional reforms: spending more, decreasing class sizes and raising teacher salaries,” Warner said. The study does not condemn any of those measures, “but those measures do not raise student achievement,” Warner said.

A lack of achievement is more recognized as other countries “do better and better and their education is leaving us behind,” he said. It’s important when evaluating education not to “trust in the same reforms of increasing spending and raising salaries,” Warner said.

Maine Education Commissioner Susan Gendron has said that while Maine still performs well compared to other states, test scores in the past five years have been flat, and change is needed.

Some states that spent less per student came out ahead of Maine, the report showed.

The national average of state per-pupil spending in 2005 was $9,052. Maine’s was $10,294.

New Hampshire ranked third nationally in the survey, and spent less, $9,656 per pupil. Wisconsin spent $9,899 per student and ranked sixth.

Massachusetts and Vermont ranked higher than Maine and spent more, the study showed.

Massachusetts ranked No. 1 academically and spent $10,926 per student; Vermont spent $11,054 and ranked third.

– Bonnie Washuk

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