Release time and english language proficiency: Does releasing students for spiritual instruction negatively affect test scores?

The population of students with limited English proficiency-a disproportionate number of whom are urban Latinos living in low-income neighborhoods-is increasing rapidly. School districts serving these populations must meet escalating academic benchmarks, as stipulated by No Child Left Behind, or incur sanctions. This pressure has led many districts to consider eliminating release time, a program that allows students to be excused from their regular academic schedules to receive spiritual instruction. The present study sought to determine whether English learners participating in release time record lower test scores than their nonparticipating peers. The results indicate that release time participants score at least as well as their peers on the state tests used to assess listening and speaking, reading, writing, and overall English proficiency. Potential reasons for these possibly counterintuitive results are discussed.