If your child gets a bad report card, how do you deal with it?

Experts recommend praising the positive. No screaming or swearing; set positive expectations and communicate.

Now what to do if the bad grades belong not to a child, but to a state, our state — Hawaii?

A new round of reports rating the 50 states just came out and Hawaii is still grading way below the curve — so low that Hawaii’s performance pretty much is how you describe failure.

To find Hawaii in the ranking in CNBC’s 2013 report of which states are good places to do business, you need to go to the "Worst States for Business" (http://www.cnbc.com/id/100843287) section.

Last year we ranked 49, this year 50. According to CNBC, we have the worst infrastructure and transportation, the highest cost of living and are put at 45 among the 50 states for technology and innovation.

Of course, we have acknowledged much of this. Gov. Neil Abercrombie is trying to exchange the paper and pencils in the state Tax Department for actual working computers, and Mayor Kirk Caldwell spends part of each week talking about repaving our streets. Also, when you live in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, there is not much the marketplace can do to offer price competition.

Back in May, another report card came out with another round of poor marks.

Chief Executive magazine (http://chiefexecutive.net/ hawaii-is-the-43rd-best-state-for-business-2013) put Hawaii as the 43rd best state for business.

"California and Hawaii are very overtaxed," the report stated.

The political climate, the magazine said "is only making it worse.

"Business is very difficult in both states and increasing regulations making it nearly impossible yet they always demand more taxes."

Hawaii gross domestic product declined between 2010 and 2011, while the national average rose.

People are leaving Hawaii: Between 2001 and 2009, more than 28,000 left.

The CNBC study rated South Dakota as the best business state and Chief Executive said Texas was No. 1.

I don’t know about South Dakota, but I don’t suggest traveling to Texas without a round-trip ticket. Hawaii has its benefits.

Don’t forget that four years in a row Hawaii has scored the title of the happiest state in the U.S., according to the annual Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index (http://info.healthways.com/2012WellbeingIndex).

Even CNBC acknowledged that life can be pretty good in Hawaii.

"And of course, there is that legendary quality of life. It is not just beaches. We found Hawaii’s air and water are clean, the crime rate is low, and Hawaiians are among the healthiest Americans," CNBC Senior Correspondent Scott Cohn wrote.

The Yale School of Medicine urged that parents facing a negative report card try to find other ways for kids to succeed.

"Some kids are C students, yet excel at music, art or athletics. Nurture their gifts but discuss expectations," suggests Yale.

A technical and unbiased assessment of all 50 states’ economic outlook is prepared by the research department of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia (http://www.philadelphiafed.org/research-and-data/regional-economy/indexes/coincident/). It combines four state economic indicators to come up with a single economic measure. The Brookings Institution’s Tax Policy Center explains that the Philadelphia Fed’s index measures expected future economic activity.

The report shows that Hawaii leading index is now at 109.32, the lowest of all 50 states.

Before another report card comes out, perhaps what Hawaii needs is a Tiger Mom.

———

Richard Borreca writes on politics on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Reach him at rborreca@staradvertiser.com.