Finding Their ROAR: How Ozark Junior High is Redefining Success Beyond the Classroom

This school year there’s a new kind of roar echoing through the halls of Ozark Junior High, and it’s not coming from the mascot. It’s the sound of students talking about responsibility, ownership, awareness, and respect — the four pillars of a new program that’s turning positive behavior into the loudest kind of school spirit.

Introduced this fall, the ROAR Score isn’t about test grades or GPAs, it’s about character. Designed to recognize students for being Responsible, showing Ownership, being Aware, and showing Respect, ROAR’s goal is to shift how people think about behavior and help students take accountability for their actions on the road to success. Students are recognized and rewarded for the choices they make every day, from helping a classmate pick up spilled papers to showing leadership during group work.

“The goal is to celebrate the kids who are doing good,” said OJH Principal Dr. Amanda Sooter. “We have great students at Ozark, and we want to recognize them while helping others find motivation, both extrinsic and intrinsic, to make positive choices.”

The idea grew from a simple question: How can Ozark make positive behavior visible and meaningful? Teachers and administrators collaborated to design a system that’s consistent, easy to understand, and rooted in Ozark’s existing Portrait of a Graduate traits.  

Each student now has a ROAR Score that appears in PowerSchool alongside academic grades in each of their classes, making social and emotional growth part of everyday learning. This grade isn’t weighted but serves as a weekly check-in for students, parents, and teachers about classroom behavior. When a student demonstrates a ROAR trait positively, they can earn points and feedback, and if they do something especially impressive, they can be awarded a coin from a teacher. Each teacher receives nine coins per quarter to give to their student of choice.

On the other end of the spectrum, when behavior slips, the score provides a chance for reflection, not just punishment.

“There’s been a noticeable improvement in accountability and self-awareness,” said Meghan Bland, eighth grade English teacher. “Students are more likely to take ownership when redirected and often use ROAR language themselves; ‘I wasn’t being aware’ or ‘I need to show respect.’ It’s shifted our culture from simple rule-following to reflection and self-correction, which makes classroom management more collaborative.” 

Bland said she’s already seeing a difference in her classroom. Students are more engaged, discipline issues are fewer, and conversations about behavior feel more collaborative.

“ROAR is woven into our daily routines,” Bland said. “We use it to frame discussions about collaboration, responsibility during group work, and reflection after activities. When students self-assess or complete peer feedback, we often connect their reflections to specific ROAR traits, like showing ownership of their work or being aware of how their actions affect others.”   

Like Bland said, OJH students are responding; often checking in with teachers about how a choice might affect their ROAR score or reflecting on how they can improve after losing points

And, of course, prizes don’t hurt. Students can cash in their coins to get snacks, stickers, or other Tiger-themed prizes from the school’s new ROAR Cart, a lunchroom favorite. Additionally, each student who receives a coin is entered into a drawing, and at the end of each quarter, one name is drawn for a big prize of the student’s choosing. The more coins they earn, the more times their name is in the drawing. 

While it’s still early, the ROAR Score is already accomplishing something bigger than behavior management — it’s building a culture of accountability, kindness, and pride.

“We’re hoping for long-term culture change,” Sooter said. “If students can build these habits now — showing respect, taking ownership, being responsible — it sets them up for success both in school and in life.”