What Educators Need to Know
About the Groundbreaking Released Time Program
Dear Educator,
You are a hero!
As a former college football player (Go Buckeyes!), I have traveled the nation, speaking in
public schools on character development and interacting with thousands of educators who
described for me the unique and ever intensifying challenge you face. After my presentations,
principals and teachers would often share the same thing with me, almost word for word. “You
know Joel, these days it’s not enough to simply educate students. You have to be their parent
as well.” With the continuous pressure of personnel and budget strains, educators everywhere
face the same challenge: do more with less.
But I think there may be some allies in your community who can come alongside you.
When I wasn’t speaking in schools, I often spoke in churches. Churchgoers were consistently
enthusiastic about my work with students and would often share stories with me of their own
work in their local public schools. However, over time, I noticed a trend. More and more, these
stories were reports from the past instead of current eorts. Churchgoers still longed to serve
students in their community, teaching them the biblical principles that had shaped their own
lives. But they would confess that, with the way school policies have changed over time, they
didn’t know where to begin.
Not long ago, I was introduced to a solution that can address both problems. Released Time
Religious Instruction (RTRI) oers schools the support and influence they need, without
further taxing their already strained resources, and provides community members a clear,
eective and legal way to engage with their local schools. Now with the arrival of LifeWise
Academy, it is easier than ever to bring these benefits to your students, your school, and your
community.
I hope you’ll find the contents of this booklet informative and helpful as you seek to better
serve your students. Thank you for all you do!
Sincerely,
Joel Penton
Executive Director
LifeWise Academy
A PERSONAL NOTE TO EDUCATORS
CONTENTS
A Personal Note To Educators
Introduction to RTRI
The Legality of RTRI
The Benefits of RTRI
Character Development
Mental Health
Academic Performance
Family & Community Involvement
Conclusion
Additional Resources
FAQ
Educator Do’s & Don’ts
Introduction to LifeWise Curriculum
Sources
1
2
3
4
7
8
10
11
13
14
5
15
1
INTRODUCTION TO RTRI
What is Released Time Religious Instruction?
Released Time Religious Instruction (RTRI) programs allow students to be released during
the school day to receive religious instruction at an o-campus location. Students participate
voluntarily and with parental permission, while non-participating students remain in class.
1
What is LifeWise Academy?
LifeWise Academy is an innovative RTRI program now being introduced around the country
which oers clear and unique benefits to schools and communities. First, LifeWise Academy
includes a character education component: Each lesson introduces a specific character trait
that students are encouraged to apply in their school, their families, and their community.
Second, the LifeWise Academy model is both replicable and flexible. Each local program
operates with a standard set of policies, procedures, and curriculum which is easily adapted for
a variety of community and district needs. At the same time, the LifeWise Support Center,
available to assist all locations, ensures quality and reliability across locations.
How does LifeWise Academy work?
We Keep it Legal - LifeWise Academy is diligent to adhere to relevant laws and policies. (See
“The Legality of RTRI” on page 2.)
We Keep it Simple - LifeWise Academy focuses on the central messages of the Bible. We
avoid getting bogged down in the finer points of religious doctrine. Instead, we focus on the
most foundational themes that speak to the issues common to all people.
We Keep it Practical - LifeWise Academy seeks to create real and lasting change for students,
schools, and communities so we continually look for ways to make instruction not only
conceptual, but also actionable.
Released Time helped our students learn
respect and kindness for others in a world
urgently needing these values.
BETH PEUGH
Retired Elementary School Principal
“
THE LEGALITY OF RTRI
The greatest concern for most educators: Is this legal? The answer is an unequivocal, “Yes!”
Based on the 1952 Supreme Court case, Zorach v. Clauson, RTRI programs in the United States
are completely legal in all fifty states.
2
At the same time, the specifics of state policies vary. Many states have passed laws to give
additional direction to RTRI programs. In some states, RTRI can be oered for credit at the high
school level. But even in states where no specific law exists, individual districts are typically free
to work with RTRI programs in their community when three general criteria are met:
1
Parents must give permission for their students to participate in LifeWise Academy.
VOLUNTARY
2
The LifeWise Academy program must be held o school grounds.
OFF CAMPUS
3
No taxpayer money can go to support or run the LifeWise Academy program.
3
PRIVATELY FUNDED
2
THE BENEFITS OF RTRI
RTRI has been part of the American educational landscape for nearly one hundred years.
4
In that time, the benefits of these programs have been clear and consistent, especially in
the areas of character development, mental health, academic performance, and family &
community involvement.
MENTAL
HEALTH
CHARACTER
DEVELOPMENT
ACADEMIC
PERFORMANCE
FAMILY & COMMUNITY
INVOLVEMENT
3
4
Participating in religious activities, including an RTRI program, can and does positively impact
students’ character and choices.
First, by studying the Bible’s narratives and teachings, students explore “themes that support
positive character development that can lay a strong foundation for healthy and moral behavior
through adolescence and adulthood.”
5
As they discover a worldview which includes a personal,
loving deity, students learn to make wise choices both inside and outside the RTRI classroom.
In an RTRI program in Oakland, CA, for example, students “use[d] what they learn from the
program in their everyday experiences, including manners, pledges, morals (i.e., staying away from
drugs/alcohol and treating others well), as well as many of the 10 Commandments (i.e., thou shall
honor thy mother/father, thou shall not steal, commit adultery, kill, etc.).”
6
The positive impact on character and choices is particularly apparent in behaviors such as alcohol
and drug abuse. The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University
reported that “rates of drug and alcohol abuse have been found to be significantly lower in those
who are religious compared to their nonreligious counterparts.”
7
And another survey of literature found that “the research is almost unanimous in reporting that
religious persons are less likely to abuse alcohol or take illicit drugs. [O]ver half of the 76 studies
… concerned … adolescents and young persons.”
8
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
Rates of drug and alcohol abuse have been found to be
significantly lower in those who are religious compared
to their nonreligious counterparts.
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse
“
The decline of mental health among America’s youth is another significant reality for educators
as nearly twenty percent of school-age students are dealing with some form of mental health
issue.
10
While educators have access to a variety of resources to support students’ mental health, they
can be expensive or insucient. Meanwhile, decades of research indicates a clear, positive link
between religious activity and mental health.
In their survey of literature, Koenig & Larson reported a consistent, positive correlation between
religiosity and mental health.
“Nearly 80% [of studies] found religious beliefs and practices consistently related to
greater life satisfaction, happiness, positive aect, and higher morale.”
“84% [of studies] found lower rates of suicide or more negative attitudes toward suicide
among the more religious.”
And a small majority of studies “found lower levels of anxiety or fear among the more
religious.”
5
Additionally, RTRI programs help students develop good character by connecting them to
mentors who both teach and model the positive character traits that students need to succeed
in the world. Especially in communities with high rates of poverty or crime, these positive adult
mentors can be a powerful influence in the students’ lives, reminding the students of what
they’ve learned and helping them apply those lessons at school, in their families and in the
community.
9
Of course, character development is never as simple as reading a book, even the Bible. No
RTRI program will result in perfect character in any (or every) student. However, there is an
unmistakable correlation between religion and character: Students who participate in religious
activities generally also display good character.
MENTAL HEALTH
6
They conclude: “Religious beliefs and practices rooted within established religious traditions
are generally associated with better mental health, higher social functioning, and fewer self-
destructive tendencies.”
11
Another study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health reached a similar conclusion:
“In general, adolescents who have higher levels of spirituality and religiosity fare better
than their less religious or spiritual peers—they have lower rates of risky health behaviors
and fewer mental health problems and utilize spiritual coping to manage physical illness —
even when controlling for other relevant demographic variables.”
“Wright and co-authors found that spirituality, defined as the importance of religion in
understanding one’s meaning of life, and the role of religious beliefs in one’s interactions in
life, were directly associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms in adolescents.”
12
Finally, Weber and Pargament concluded: “Research has shown that religion and spirituality
are generally associated with better mental health. … Greater religion or spirituality has been
associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms, fewer symptoms of posttraumatic stress,
fewer eating disorder symptoms, fewer negative symptoms in schizophrenia, less perceived stress,
lower risk of suicide, and less personality disorder. Additionally, a higher level of certainty in one’s
belief system is associated with greater psychological health.”
13
The research is abundantly clear. Religious activity can positively aect a student’s mental health.
Thus, an RTRI program can be a valuable option to increase support for mental health while
placing no additional financial or stang burdens on the schools.
80%
found religious beliefs and practices consistently related to greater
life satisfaction, happiness, positive aect, and higher morale.
NEARLY
Some have argued that RTRI programs hurt students’ academic performance, claiming that
released time prevents teachers from covering material eectively, cuts learning time for every
student and causes participating students to fall behind their classmates.
14
Certainly, if an RTRI program does hurt academic outcomes, it would be dicult to justify its
presence. However, both research and practice have shown that such concerns are unfounded.
As one study concludes, “No empirical evidence exists to support the notion that released time
participation impedes academic performance.”
15
Instead, students seem to gain significant academic benefits when religious instruction is oered
in conjunction with their regular academic pursuits.
First, RTRI instructors reinforce “the importance of the educational enterprise” and “the value of
learning.”
16
In fact, Wood noted that, for black male students in particular, “spirituality … allowed
students to better navigate and negotiate their educational experiences.”
17
Second, RTRI classrooms support traditional learning outcomes. “Language-based activities are
generally a central component of released time. Engaging in such practices with content that
is viewed as intrinsically meaningful may enhance English skills.”
18
The Oakland program was
commended for including “reading aloud, role play, and art” which are “promising strategies for
addressing literacy problems.”
19
Test results support this claim. Students in the Oakland program performed as well as, or better
than, their non-participating classmates on various literacy components such as comprehension.
20
Hodge indicated that “Latino students who took part in released time fared equally well on high-
stakes, standardized tests relative to their matched peers. [N]o significant dierence emerged
between released time participants and their matched peers on English and math test scores.”
21
Finally, an RTRI program may help address the education achievement gap. William Jeynes noted,
“Of all the variables included as potentially bridging the achievement gap, religious faith [whether
personal, school-based, or a character-based curriculum] was the one that produced the largest
eect size.”
22
He concluded that “religious faith can reduce the achievement gap by more than
50%.”
23
Other researchers have reported similar results.
24,25
7
ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
In light of the positive impact an RTRI program may have on students’ academic performance,
Jeynes, in particular, recommends that schools do more to “[incorporate] the strength that
factors beyond the school confines can provide. The results of this study suggest that the
religious faith of students may be such a source of strength.”
26
50%
FAMILY & COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Finally, RTRI programs can provide school districts with a practical and eective method by
which to attract strong families in their communities.
A growing number of families are choosing alternative options such as open enrollment, charter
or private schools, and homeschooling. Currently, nearly 10% of American students attend
private schools
27
and as many as 3.4% are homeschooled.
28
For the school districts, falling enrollment means the loss of important resources, including
funding. Fewer students results in lower budgets, which further prevent the district from
providing the best educational options and support to its students.
But money is not the only resource that is lost by falling enrollment. As students choose other
educational options, districts also lose the influence of engaged and invested families. And such
partnerships are invaluable to seeing schools and students reach their ultimate potential.
8
MORE
THAN
Religious faith can reduce the achievement gap by
According to “Parent, Family, Community Involvement in Education,” an NEA policy brief,
“Parent, family, and community involvement in education correlates with higher academic
performance and school improvement.” In fact, the NEA reports, “Research and field work
show that parent-school-partnerships improve schools, strengthen families, build community
support, and increase student achievement and success.”
29
Unfortunately, it is often the families who are most likely to actively support and invest in their
local schools who choose to place their students in private schools or to educate them at home.
As a result, schools are constantly looking for ways to engage with and retain these families and
their students.
Not surprisingly, for many of the families who choose private school or homeschool, religious
instruction is an important criteria, one that public schools struggle to meet. According to the
National Center for Education Statistics, 78% of private schools are religious in nature,
30
and
many homeschooling parents specifically stated that they chose to homeschool in order to
provide religious instruction to their children.
31
Thus a public school with a local RTRI program could attract strong families who may otherwise
opt out of public education for religious reasons. While public schools cannot legally endorse
any religious teaching or denomination, cooperating with a community-led RTRI program could
provide incentive for these families to keep their students and influence in the public schools.
This is Jeynes’ recommendation: “It would appear to be wise to support policies that are
supportive of strong families and personal religious faith,”
32
including a local RTRI program.
9
A public school with a local RTRI program
could attract strong families who may
otherwise opt out of public education
for religious reasons.
CONCLUSION
Built on strong parent-community-school partnerships, RTRI
programs provide obvious, measurable benefits without further
straining a district’s budget or resources. LifeWise Academy, in
particular, oers an innovative and eective path to reap those
benefits for your students and your school.
Cooperating with a local LifeWise eort is the first step. In fact, “Given that all
costs are absorbed by outside entities, school districts appear to have little to
lose and perhaps much to gain by working with community actors to support
released time programs.”
33
10
FAQ
Q: Does LifeWise Academy interfere with classes during the school day?
A: No. While classes are held during the school day, they do not interfere with mandatory
courses or extracurricular activities. The class schedule is set by school personnel in consultation
with LifeWise Academy representatives. Usually LifeWise Academy classes are scheduled for
times when other elective courses are oered.
Q: How do LifeWise Academy classes fit into the school schedule?
A: The schedule varies greatly from school to school depending on a variety of factors. Most
elementary schools integrate released time into their weekly specials rotation, providing
students the option to attend LifeWise Academy or library, technology, or intervention time.
Q: How is LifeWise Academy promoted to parents/students?
A: If permissible, announcements, permission slips, or other informational materials about
LifeWise Academy can be sent home through the school. For districts which do not permit
non-school material to be sent home, the program can be promoted through social media,
news media, church networks, and word of mouth. Legally, schools may not use class time or
assemblies during the school day to promote released time programs.
Q: How much does LifeWise Academy cost?
A: LifeWise Academy is 100% privately funded through donations. There is no cost to schools
or participating families.
Q: Is LifeWise Academy associated with any religious doctrine or church?
A: LifeWise Academy is a Christian ministry but unaliated with any particular church
denomination.
Q: Why should students, even those without a Christian background, learn about the Bible?
A: LifeWise Academy recognizes that the Bible was foundational to the forming of our western
culture and societal ethics. We believe all students, regardless of religious background, can
benefit from a greater understanding of such an influential book.
Q: Are LifeWise Academy classes held on school property?
A: No, all classes must be held o school property.
11
Q: How will students get to the o-site location? Where will they meet?
A: Students will either walk under the supervision of volunteer chaperones or be driven by bus
or vans to the osite location. Locations can include churches, community centers, dedicated
LifeWise Academy buildings or other facilities.
Q: How do you ensure that students are safe before, during and after each class? Will the
attendance of students be reported to the school?
A: Attendance is taken before leaving the school property and strict safety guidelines are
enforced during class time including but not limited to the presence of two adults in the
classroom at all times.
Q: Who is responsible for teaching the students? How are they trained, certified or hired?
A: Teachers are vetted and hired by local LifeWise Academy leadership. Teaching certification
is preferred but not required by law or LifeWise Academy policy. Local leadership teams
determine whether to hire paid or volunteer teachers.
Q: Who assumes liability for students during LifeWise classes?
A: From the time students leave school property, LifeWise assumes liability and maintains an
umbrella liability insurance policy for this reason.
12
DO’S & DON’TS FOR PUBLIC
SCHOOL ADMINSTRATORS
Do educate yourself.
This packet provides introductory content to RTRI programs in general and LifeWise
Academy in particular. By reviewing its contents, as well as exploring other available
resources about RTRI, you will be well equipped to interact eectively with district
and community leaders. More information is available at ReleasedTime.org and
LifeWiseAcademy.org.
The LifeWise Leadership Team in your local community is available and equipped to
answer your questions and provide you with the necessary information to create an
eective and long-term relationship. LifeWise personnel have both the experience and
the resources to help you navigate the logistics and communication of establishing a
LifeWise Academy for your students.
The goal of LifeWise Academy is to foster parent-community-school partnerships which
are both legal and eective. In order to protect the separation of church and state,
the school and its administration cannot actively promote or discourage families and
students from participating in an RTRI program, but by working with the local LifeWise
Leadership Team, they can reap the many benefits LifeWise Academy provides.
Do coordinate with LifeWise personnel.
Don’t overtly promote or discourage LifeWise Academy.
13
INTRODUCTION TO LIFEWISE CURRICULUM
LifeWise Academy is unique among RTRI programs because it integrates character education
and Bible lessons into a single packet. Its curriculum is both religious and academic in nature.
Each week, students will interact with a story from the Bible through games, worksheets,
Big Idea questions, and review activities. In addition, every week’s lesson is tied directly to a
character trait that students are challenged to apply in practical ways in school, at home, and
in the community.
14
Gratitude (God Created the World)
Respect (God Created People)
Obedience (Sin Entered the World)
Responsibility (Cain and Abel)
Patience (Noah and the Ark)
Humility (The Tower of Babel)
Courage (God’s Covenant with Abraham)
Sacrifice (God Tested Abraham)
Trustworthiness (The Promise Rearmed)
Generosity (The Stolen Blessing)
Determination (Jacob’s New Name)
Perseverance (Joseph Sent to Egypt)
Forgiveness (Joseph’s Dreams Came True)
Joy (Jesus Was Born)
Compassion (Moses Was Born and Called)
Reliability (The Plagues, Passover, and Red Sea Crossing)
Contentment (The Wilderness Test)
Truthfulness (The Golden Calf)
Honor (The Ten Commandments: Love God)
Justice (The Ten Commandments: Love Others)
Enthusiasm (The Tabernacle Was Built)
Initiative (God Gave Rules For Sacrifice)
Submission (Worship Only God)
Commitment (God Reminded His People of His Covenant)
Love (Jesus’s Death and Resurrection)
Year One Weekly Lessons
CONTENTMENT
Trusting that God has provided everything I need.
COMPASSION
Love in action; showing I care by helping
someone who is suering.
COMMITMENT
Doing what I say I’ll do.
SOURCES
1 “Release Time Programs,” Anti-Defamation League, 2012, accessed 16 June 2020,
https://www.adl.org/education/resources/tools-and-strategies/religion-in-public-schools/ release-time.
2 ”Legality,” Released Time Bible Education, 2020, accessed 16 July 2020,
https://www.releasedtime.org/legality
3 ”Is Released Time Legal?” School Ministries, 2020, accessed 16 June 2020,
https://schoolministries.org/the-ministry/is-released-time-legal
4 ”History,” Released Time Bible Education, 2020, accessed 17 June 2020,
https://www.releasedtime.org/history
5 Morris, Monique W., Barry Krisberg, and Sharan Dhanoa. “Summary of Findings: Released Time Bible
Education.” (2003) National Council on Crime and Delinquency: 11. Accessed May 2020.
https://california.foundationcenter.org/reports/summary-of-findings-released-time-bible-education/
6 Morris, 6.
7 Dein, Simon, Christopher CH Cook, and Harold Koenig. “Religion, spirituality, and mental health: current
controversies and future directions.” The Journal of nervous and mental disease 200, no. 10 (2012): 5.
8 Koenig, Harold G., and David B. Larson. “Religion and mental health: Evidence for an association.”
International review of psychiatry 13, no. 2 (2001): 67-78.
9 Morris, 11.
10 Anderson, Meg and Kavitha Cardoza. “Mental Health in Schools: A Hidden crisis aecting millions of
students.” nprED August 31, 2016. https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/08/31/464727159/mental-health-
in-schools-a-hidden-crisis-aecting- millions-of-students
11 Koenig, 71
12 Cotton, Sian, Kathy Zebracki, Susan L. Rosenthal, Joel Tsevat, and Dennis Drotar. “Religion/spirituality and
adolescent health outcomes: A review.” Journal of Adolescent Health 38, no. 4 (2006): 472-480.
13 Weber, Samuel R., and Kenneth I. Pargament. “The role of religion and spirituality in mental health.”
Current opinion in psychiatry 27, no. 5 (2014): 358-363.
14 Hodge, David R. “Latino Students and Spiritual Release Time Programs: Does Releasing Students
From Class for Spiritual Instruction Impede Academic Achievement?” Families in Society: The Journal of
Contemporary Social Services 93, no. 2 (2012): 142.
15 Hodge, 147.
16 Hodge, 146.
15
17 Wood, Jonathan Luke. “Spirituality and Academic Success: Perceptions of Black Males in the Community
College.” (2012). https://works.bepress.com/jluke_wood/12/: 43
18 Hodge, 147.
19 Morris, 11.
20 Morris, 3.
21 Hodge, 145-46
22 Jeynes, William H. “Religiosity, Religious Schools, and Their Relationship with the Achievement Gap:
A Research Synthesis and Meta-Analysis.” The Journal of Negro Education 79, no. 3 (2010): 263-79.
Accessed May 14, 2020. www.jstor.org/stable/20798348: 273.
23 Jeynes, 275.
24 Wood, 32.
25 Toldson, Ivory A., and Kenneth Alonzo Anderson. “Editor’s Comment: The Role of Religion in Promoting
Academic Success for Black Students.” The Journal of Negro Education 79, no. 3 (2010): 205-13.
Accessed May 19, 2020. www.jstor.org/stable/20798343: 205-06.
26 Jeynes, 275.
27 ”Private School FAQs,” Council for American Private Education, 2020, Accessed 10 July 2020, https://
www.capenet.org/facts.html
28 Grady, Sarah, ”A Fresh Look at Homeschooling in the U.S.,” NCES Blog, 26 Sept. 2017, accessed 10
July 2020, https://nces.ed.gov/blogs/nces/post/a-fresh-look-at-homeschooling-in-the-u-s.
29 ”Parent, Family, Community Involvement in Education,” NEA Policy Brief, 2008, accessed 11 July
2020, http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/PB11_ParentInvolvement08.pdf: 1
30 ”Private School FAQs,” https://www.capenet.org/facts.html
31 Grady, NCES Blog.
32 Jeynes, 275.
33 Hodge, 148.
16
LIFEWISEACADEMY.ORG
ABOUT LIFEWISE ACADEMY
The LifeWise Academy mission is “to positively impact
students, schools and communities by providing
a Bible-based, character-focused Released Time
Religious Instruction (RTRI) program.”
RTRI is a legal program by which religious instruction is accessible
to public school students during the school day allowing them to
leave school (with parental permission) to attend o-site classes
which are both academic and religious in nature.