Evaluation is an important tool in continually improving the work of the Sunday School.  Often people think of evaluation in negative terms--"What are we doing wrong?"  Actually, it is equally important to determine--and to celebrate--what is being done right.  We must be aware of our strengths as well as our weaknesses, and plan to take advantage of the first and compensate for and develop the second.

Here we will collect various tools for evaluation.  At this point the only section is Surveys.  More to be added...

Surveys

The strength of a survey is that it simultaneously accomplishes several purposes:

1. It provides the best information for evaluation of how people perceive various aspects of your Sunday School
2. It involves those surveyed in the decision and planning process, providing them a sense of ownership, empowerment, and confidence that their leadership is interested in their opinions and will act on them.
3. It provides a built-in mode of publicity and promotion, helping to focus attention on areas of concern to the leadership
4. It helps to minimize the trauma that can often accompany change

Some general guidelines for surveys:

1. Always conduct the survey anonymously, but allow the respondent to identify himself if specific feedback is desired (for instance, if he chooses to ask a question in the space provided for "Other Comments")
2. Typically, you should plan to conduct a survey over a two-week period.  This will accommodate the significant group of people who attend every other week.
3. Always make the results of the survey available, but only after the survey is completed.
4. Always communicate the impact that the results of the survey had on the decision process, or changes which were implemented as a result of the survey data.

Sample Surveys

The following links lead to Adobe Acrobat .PDF files which illustrate several types of survey forms I have used in recent years.