Environmental Education: Schools that use their surrounding environments as teaching tools see an increase in test scores and an improvement in student behavior, a study from a group dedicated to environmental education concludes.

The report looks at an approach called Environment as the Integrating Context, in which schools seek teaching tools in their ecosystems as well as their social and cultural milieus.

Not all of the 40 schools studied collected data from tests that could be compared from year to year. But those that did reported a rise in test scores in core subjects on a variety of exams, according to the State Education and Environment Roundtable, a San Diego-based compact of 12 state education agencies.

Teachers in all the schools reported improvements in students' enthusiasm, behavior, and critical-thinking skills, according to the three-year study, which profiles six schools applying the approach.

"Closing the Achievement Gap: Using the Environment as an Integrating Context for Learning," $13, from the State Education and Environment Roundtable, 16486 Bernardo Center Drive, Suite 328, San Diego, CA 92128; (619) 676-0272; or read the executive summary.

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