http://plnkr.co/edit/RP9SpO1qGjn5Ua6pZJ3D?p=preview
js
angular.module(\"sampleapp\", []).controller(\'samplecontroller\', function($scope,$rootScope)
Use default values and everything will work like a charm, no need to $watch scope or anything... and Yes you need ng-model
HTML example:
{{ row.active }}
JS optional:
$scope.update = function(row) {
console.log('row.active');
}