Best Practices Research

We have always been fascinated with people and organizations proclaiming "best practices." In fact, some organizations have offered members workshops on the topic and produced lists of "best practices research". It will be interesting for our bloggers to read about the processes people use to identify "best practices research." Let us hear from you! Tell us what you can identify as "best practices research" .....

"Green" schools and "non green" schools

I found this quote on an educational Internet site: "Green schools not only make a big impact on the district’s budget, but also create green scholars as test scores rise for those surrounded by healthy environments."

Does this statement imply that test scores rise in green schools? I certainly hope they do, but how do we know this is true? Can anyone show a causal relationship between"green" schools and student achievement? (I am thinking about standardized test scores in "green" schools compared to standardized test scores in "non green" schools measured with appropriate statistical methods.)