Additional evaluation processes
I used the two evaluation processes described below when I was the Director of Religious Education at First Parish in Lexington, Massachusetts. These descriptions date from January, 2002.
The Sunday school evaluation process described in the Web page titled "Sunday school evaluation process" is substantially the same as the "Evaluation process for children" immediately below. The latter includes some theoretical background that is missing from the former -- whereas the former includes a better analysis process and sample raw data.
The "Evaluation process for youth groups" uses a significantly different methodology, one which I regularly use for both youth and adult programs.
Evaluation process for children
I used this evaluation process with children on a regular basis at First Parish in Lexington, Massachusetts. I usually did the annual evaluation on a Sunday morning in mid-June in place of Sunday school. While the details changed somewhat from year to year, the broad outlines of the evaluation process remained the same.
Some background information: Children from pre-K to grade 7 met five times a year in "All Church School Meetings," which usually incorporated a worship service and another activity, so they were used to meeting as a group. Children were taught discussion skills and brainstorming skills in their regular Sunday school classes (at an age-appropriate level), skills which I called on in this evaluation process.
We began with a worship service that lasted about 20 minutes. The worship service included a time for children to share joys and concerns, to help build a feeling of community. The worship service also included a silent meditation.
We started the evaluation right after the worship service. All the children gathered together in a big circle. One of the older children was asked to serve as the recorder, and she or he wrote all responses down on a big sheet of paper that was laid on the floor where everyone could see it.
Rev. Barbara Marshman used to ask children regularly what they remembered about church, and I based my evaluation process on this concept. I asked the children to take a few moments of silence and remember the most important thing that happened for them at church in the past year. Then we went around the circle, and each child got a chance to say one thing they remembered best about church.
Maria Harris has contended that the whole church is the curriculum (see her book Fashion Me a People). Taking this seriously, I therefore did not limit responses to what the children remembered about Sunday school -- I wanted them to include their whole church experience. The children often remembered things like weekend retreats, child dedications, church school plays, Christmas pageants, time spent with best friends, and so on. Less often, children remembered specific activities that they did in Sunday school ("I remember the time we built the Tower of Babel and knocked it over -- that was great!"), but the only specific curriculums that were ever mentioned were Haunting House (Boston: UUA, 1974), Church across the Street (Boston: Beacon Press, 1946), and OWL/AYS (Boston: UUA/UCC, 1971 and 1997).
Everything the children had to say was recorded without comment from me.
Then I gave children an opportunity to go around the circle again, and say one more thing they remembered. Often the first go-round sparked additional memories.
If time permitted, I would facilitate a short discussion about things the children would like to change about church. I recorded their responses myself on a pad of paper, listening carefully and making sure I understood what they were saying, but never allowing the discussion to deteriorate into "church-bashing."
Finally, we did closing circle where we went over the things that the children had said they remembered about church.
Evaluation process with youth groups
I prefer to do evaluations with youth in the middle of the church year. The formal process outlined here is one I used at First Parish in Lexington, and is based on an evaluation process used by Dr. Robert Pazmino in his classes on religious education at Andover Newton Theological School.
I open a discussion on the topic of "What has happened for you in youth group thus far this year?" I make this an opportunity where youth can tell me what they have gained from the youth group, what they wished they had gained but haven't, and what their thoughts and feelings about the youth group are.
Suggested format: I ask to be invited to a youth group meeting. I begin the discussion, and then say as little as possible -- I simply listen and take (extensive) notes on what youth have to say about the youth group. The only time I speak is to facilitate process (e.g., making sure everyone gets a chance to speak), or to ask clarifying questions if I don't quite understand what someone is saying.
Other than that, I give no response to youth aside from saying, "Thank you." In addition, I make sure my body language communicates that I am open and receptive to what the youth are telling me. To paraphrase Peter Steinke, "Don't explain, don't defend, don't justify." My only role is to sit and listen to what the youth have to say.
When everyone has had a chance to speak (I usually ask advisors to go last), I thank the group for their time. Then I either leave, or stay for the rest of the meeting, depending on what I had arranged beforehand with the youth group.