Creating Individual Success for Every Student

Checotah’s motto is creating individual success. The school’s principal has a clear vision that every student will make a full year’s growth in a year’s time. Within the first few days of school starting, Checotah administers benchmark assessments for students’ current quantiles, Lexiles, and reading levels.  With these results, the school creates semester goals that are individualized for each student.  Each of the first semester goals are based on the benchmark assessments.  Once the school sets students’ goals, students receive a goal sheet with their current scores and their individualized goal score for each assessment.

Checotah assesses students each month to see the amount of growth students have obtained. The new scores are written on students’ goal sheets so they may track their own growth monthly and see the narrowing of the gap from each of their original scores to their semester goals. Presenting each student with their own goal sheet helps them visually see the academic growth they are making, creating in them a sense of capability and academic responsibility.  When a student reaches a goal, it is celebrated with Bonus Bucks, teachers’ and administrations’ praise, and oftentimes the cheers and applause of fellow students.  Once a student has reached a specific portion of their main goals, their picture is taken and hung on a wall.  The growth the student sees boosts self-assurance as well as academic confidence.