Released time religious education has a long history in the United States, but not all programs have been successful, and others have not even been legal! In this article, the legal history and cases involving religious education are explored with particular emphasis on the three prong Lemon test (named for one of the litigants). Practical…

Inmates in American prisons are undereducated and underemployed. Compared to adults in the US, prisoners are at least three times more likely to be without a high school or general educational development (GED) diploma and four times less likely to have a postsecondary degree. Studies have consistently found that unemployment rates for prisoners,…

This article examines student perceptions of religious Released Time Educational (RTE) programming. Through interviews and surveys, we found that students made little distinction between public school attendance and RTE attendance and that many believed their RTE program to be part of their school. Moreover, many students found it to be a…

In many school districts, rural life in British Columbia continues to be a geographic and economic fact. Delivering equal school services and ensuring equal educational opportunities to areas with thinly scattered populations continues to be a challenge for the provincial government and school districts. Rural schools offer many positive benefits…

This article provides an overview of the socio-political, cultural, and historical characteristics of the relationship between conservative Christians and the American system of public education; describes the influence of fundamentalist views on contemporary conservative Christians; and recounts the historical relationship between the Religious…

Recent research suggests that working while in high school reduces the amount of time students spend doing homework. However, an additional hour of work leads to a reduction in homework by much less than one hour, suggesting a reduction in other activities. This paper uses data from the 2003-2007 American Time Use Surveys (ATUS) to investigate the…

Peer-assessment was used within a negotiated curriculum in a module on training and development at ECTS level 3. The students on the programme were exclusively day-release and all had a major responsibility for the management and delivery of work-based training programmes. Analysis of student evaluations, supplemented by those of university…

Induction support for new teachers is widespread, particularly in the form of mentoring, but research evidence of effectiveness is limited. The majority of existing research has focused on the impact of induction on teacher retention. Of greater interest is the potential impact on student achievement, and on which forms of support are the most…

Postgraduate education in gerontology is now widespread within European universities, but, even so, such developments remain very uneven. This paper outlines the variety of provision by describing Master's programmes in a sample of countries: England, Scotland, Finland, and Spain. These programmes illustrate some of the common problems: lack of…

Calls for more school instructional time are coming from multiple quarters. Academic standards and frequent assessments have changed the nature, but not the length, of the instructional day. Schools find themselves "robbing Peter to pay Paul," taking time from the arts, recess, and physical education to give to reading and math, subjects that…

Describes new theories of teacher professional development, identifies known costs of conventional professional development, discusses how new approaches (like collaborative problem solving and mentoring relationships) affect costs (for teacher time and supportive infrastructure), examines efficiency considerations, and highlights fiscal and…

Virginia's Upper Shenandoah Valley, with its Bible-Belt values and flourishing churches, illustrates the challenges of religious-instruction release time for educators. Local schools accommodate Weekday Religious Education, a weekly, privately funded program popular in southern states. Using "public access" tables, permission slips, and…

Suggests several ways that institutions can help teachers continue with research and scholarly studies, such as: (1) released time for faculty; (2) variable course loads; (3) external funding; (4) government grants; (5) providing adequate library resources; and (6) overcoming the isolation of two-year college faculty from their colleagues. (RAE)

This article explores the area of day-release education in nonadvanced adult education. In particular, attention is focused on two linked areas: (1) the teaching method used on day-release courses and (2) the philosophy upon which such courses are based. (Author/CT)

Collaborative time for teachers to undertake and sustain school improvement may be more important than equipment, facilities, or even staff development. Although some schools have managed to include pupil-free workdays in their annual calendars, others must find low-cost alternatives. This article presents 15 examples involving creative scheduling…