This class isn't about grades, it's about...

This semester I decided to get rid of my numeric/traditional grade system and attempt to foster my students' growth mindset even more deeply by assessing FOR learning.  Part of my inspiration was reading this:

"Changing from traditional methods of assessment to Assessment for Learning is a big step for teachers, but it is one of the most important. Teachers who use Assessment for Learning are faced with an incredible opportunity: to provide students with information on their learning, rather than their achievement, to encourage responsibility among students, and to give students powerful growth mindset messages about mathematics and learning that fill them with self hope and belief. " - Excerpted from Jo Boaler's "Assessment for a Growth Mindset"

I use the following system for "Scores" in the gradebook:

EE - exceeds expectations
ME - meets expectations
NY - not yet
I - Incomplete/not turned in

More importantly, I attempting frequent check-ins with student in person and utilize google classroom to give written feedback on certain assignments.

At each quarter, the students take a look at the body of work in their portfolio AND the EE's and ME's... on their grade report and propose a letter grade that will go on their permanent transcript. Today I asked them to complete this sentence for me before I passed out some updated "grade reports".

This class isn't about grades, it's about...
learning from your mistakes and communication
learning and understanding math
learning and creating new ideas
understanding math concepts thoroughly
how you understand the problem and making mistakes and how your brain grows
learning something new
work
how hard you try to get your work done and how you did on the work
learning new things
collaborating with others and exploring math in many ways
finding ways to make your brain smarter
Making your brain grow

And, well, this is real life so I will tell you that one student said this:
getting to college... which you need grades for

...and 4 students were absent because it's the day after halloween.

Anyway, I was pleased with their responses and where we are in the journey of changing their mindsets AND, more importantly, the "game" of high school math.




More questions
Do I feel that anyone is trying to take advantage of the situation?
Are their proposed letter grades any different than they would have achieved were I using a strictly numeric grading system?
Am I always explicitly have them realize the value of the portfolio and of creating beautiful work?
Even I get them to buy in, how will that shift as they move into another setting next semester?