In 2005, the Kansas Supreme Court forced a special session of the Kansas Legislature to earmark hundreds of millions of dollars aimed at bolstering an education system the justices found wanting. Since then, the state has spent more and more on education, even as it faces a serious budget deficit.

The increase was put through by the state Senate leadership - Sens. Steve Morris, John Vratil and Derek Schmidt - working with Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and liberal Republicans and Democrats in the House.

Conservatives, led by Reps. Mike O'Neal and Lance Kinzer, fought the increase, claiming Kansas schools were performing far better than the national average and pointing out that the increases were so large that schools systems had admitted they wouldn't be able to devise plans for spending the money quickly enough to accommodate the new funding.

Tuesday, the College Boards released test results. The figures say as much about the educational level of Kansas students as they do about the amount of wisdom in the court's decision.

If the Scholastic Aptitude Test scores are any indication, conservatives get to say, "I told you so." The SAT report shows that Kansas students were doing better before those hundreds of millions started saturating the educational system.

The SAT is the most commonly used standardized college placement exam in America.

According to the College Boards, Kansas high schoolers' scores on critical reading, mathematics and writing slipped only slightly from last year's marks - but unfortunately, last years' scores were the lowest in 13 years in some categories. For girls, the critical reading score was lower than it's been since 1994.

Compared to 2005, the year the court found the state's system inadequate, the marks are lower in every category.

• For boys, the critical reading score has slipped from 513 in 2005 to 504 in 2008, while girls' scores have dipped five points to 500 over the same period.
  
• In math, boys have lost five points since 2005 and score 533, the same as last year. Girls scores have gone from 504 in 2005 to 500 in 2008.
  
• In writing, the combined scores have gone from 497 to 494.
  

The Kansas scores are the same or slightly worse than those of South Dakota and Mississippi, two states where state spending on education is typically lowest. A combined reading and math score of 1100 is considered an indication of educational success.

Nationally, scores have remained steady for the past few years.

Some experts have concluded that there is no evidence linking increased spending with improved educational outcomes. Most studies show that small schools, including those with modest budgets, do the best job educating students.

The SATs - the source of a great deal of anxiety among high school students - have long been seen as a yardstick of educational performance.

“More than ever, the SAT reflects the face of education in this country," said Gaston Caperton, president of the College Board in a statement.

• Download the Kansas SAT test scores here.

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