diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/models/settings/course_grading.py b/cms/djangoapps/models/settings/course_grading.py
index 5a998bb044..358e0a851b 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/models/settings/course_grading.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/models/settings/course_grading.py
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ class CourseGradingModel:
             course_location = Location(course_location)
             
         descriptor = get_modulestore(course_location).get_item(course_location)
-        del descriptor.metadata['graceperiod']   
+        if 'graceperiod' in descriptor.metadata: del descriptor.metadata['graceperiod']   
         get_modulestore(course_location).update_metadata(course_location, descriptor.metadata)
         
     @staticmethod
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ class CourseGradingModel:
             
         descriptor = get_modulestore(location).get_item(location)
         return {
-                "grader-type" : descriptor.metadata.get('format', "Not Graded"),
+                "graderType" : descriptor.metadata.get('format', u"Not Graded"),
                 "location" : location,
                 "id" : 99   # just an arbitrary value to 
                 }
@@ -220,12 +220,12 @@ class CourseGradingModel:
             location = Location(location)
           
         descriptor = get_modulestore(location).get_item(location)
-        if 'grader-type' in jsondict:
-            descriptor.metadata['format'] = jsondict.get('grader-type')
+        if 'graderType' in jsondict and jsondict['graderType'] != u"Not Graded":
+            descriptor.metadata['format'] = jsondict.get('graderType')
             descriptor.metadata['graded'] = True
         else:
-            del descriptor.metadata['format']
-            descriptor.metadata['graded'] = False
+            if 'format' in descriptor.metadata: del descriptor.metadata['format'] 
+            if 'graded' in descriptor.metadata: del descriptor.metadata['graded'] 
             
         get_modulestore(location).update_metadata(location, descriptor.metadata)  
         
diff --git a/cms/static/js/views/grader-select-view.js b/cms/static/js/views/grader-select-view.js
index 1107273cff..a6528f6205 100644
--- a/cms/static/js/views/grader-select-view.js
+++ b/cms/static/js/views/grader-select-view.js
@@ -1,19 +1,19 @@
 CMS.Models.AssignmentGrade = Backbone.Model.extend({
 	idAttribute : "cid",	// not sure if this is kosher
 	defaults : {
-		grader-type : null, // the type label (string). May be "Not Graded" which implies None. I'd like to use id but that's ephemeral
+		graderType : null, // the type label (string). May be "Not Graded" which implies None. I'd like to use id but that's ephemeral
 		location : null	// A location object
 	},
 	initialize : function(attrs) {
-		if (attrs['assignment-url']) {
-			this.set('location') = new CMS.Models.Location(attrs['assignment-url'], {parse: true});
+		if (attrs['assignmentUrl']) {
+			this.set('location', new CMS.Models.Location(attrs['assignmentUrl'], {parse: true}));
 		}
 	},
 	parse : function(attrs) {
-		if (attrs['location']) {
+		if (attrs && attrs['location']) {
 			attrs.location = new CMS.Models.Location(attrs['location'], {parse: true});
 		}
-	}
+	},
 	urlRoot : function() {
 		if (this.has('location')) {
 			var location = this.get('location');
@@ -31,26 +31,29 @@ CMS.Views.OverviewAssignmentGrader = Backbone.View.extend({
 		"click .menu" : "selectGradeType"
 	},
 	initialize : function() {
-		// call template w/ {assignment-type : formatname, graders : CourseGraderCollection instance }
+		// call template w/ {assignmentType : formatname, graders : CourseGraderCollection instance }
 		this.template = _.template(
-				'<h4 class="status-label"><%= assignment-type %></h4>' +
+				// TODO move to a template file
+				'<h4 class="status-label"><%= assignmentType %></h4>' +
 				'<a data-tooltip="Mark/unmark this section as graded" class="menu-toggle" href="#">' +
 					'<span class="ss-icon ss-standard">&#x2713;</span>' +
 				'</a>' +
 				'<ul class="menu">' + 
 					'<% graders.each(function(option) { %>' +
-						'<li><a <% if (option.get("type") == assignment-type) {%>class="is-selected" <%}%> href="#"><%= option.get("type") %></a></li>' +
-					'<% }) %>'
-					'<li><a class="gradable-status-notgraded" href="#">Not Graded</a></li>'
+						'<li><a <% if (option.get("type") == assignmentType) {%>class="is-selected" <%}%> href="#"><%= option.get("type") %></a></li>' +
+					'<% }) %>' +
+					'<li><a class="gradable-status-notgraded" href="#">Not Graded</a></li>' +
 				'</ul>');
 		this.assignmentGrade = new CMS.Models.AssignmentGrade({
-			assignment-url : this.$el.closest('section.branch').data('id'), 
-			grader-type : this.$el.data('initial-status')});
+			assignmentUrl : this.$el.closest('.branch').data('id'), 
+			graderType : this.$el.data('initial-status')});
+		// TODO throw exception if graders is null
+		this.graders = this.options['graders'];
 		this.render();
 	},
 	render : function() {
-		this.$el.html(this.template({ assignment-type : this.assignmentGrade.get('grader-type'), graders : this.graders }));
-		if (this.assignmentGrade.has('grader-type') && assignmentGrade.get('grader-type') != "Not Graded") {
+		this.$el.html(this.template({ assignmentType : this.assignmentGrade.get('graderType'), graders : this.graders }));
+		if (this.assignmentGrade.has('graderType') && this.assignmentGrade.get('graderType') != "Not Graded") {
 			this.$el.addClass('is-set');
 		}
 		else {
@@ -63,10 +66,12 @@ CMS.Views.OverviewAssignmentGrader = Backbone.View.extend({
 	},
 	selectGradeType : function(e) {
 	      e.preventDefault();
+	      
+	      this.$el.toggleClass('is-active');
 
 	      // TODO I'm not happy with this string fetch via the html for what should be an id. I'd rather use the id attr
 	      // of the CourseGradingPolicy model or null for Not Graded (NOTE, change template's if check for is-selected accordingly)
-	      this.assignmentGrade.save('grader-type', $(e.target).html());
+	      this.assignmentGrade.save('graderType', $(e.target).text());
 	      
 	      this.render();
 	}
diff --git a/cms/templates/overview.html b/cms/templates/overview.html
index 132dbee5aa..83af8ac323 100644
--- a/cms/templates/overview.html
+++ b/cms/templates/overview.html
@@ -16,15 +16,18 @@
   <script src="${static.url('js/vendor/timepicker/jquery.timepicker.js')}"></script>
   <script src="${static.url('js/vendor/timepicker/datepair.js')}"></script>
   <script src="${static.url('js/vendor/date.js')}"></script>
-  <script type="text/javascript" src="${static.url('js/models/settings/course_grading_policy.js')}"></script>
   <script type="text/javascript" src="${static.url('js/models/course_relative.js')}"></script>
+  <script type="text/javascript" src="${static.url('js/views/grader-select-view.js')}"></script>
+  <script type="text/javascript" src="${static.url('js/models/settings/course_grading_policy.js')}"></script>
 
   <script type="text/javascript">
   $(document).ready(function(){
-    // TODO figure out whether these should be in window or someplace else?
+    // TODO figure out whether these should be in window or someplace else or whether they're only needed as local vars
+    // I believe that current (New Section/New Subsection) cause full page reloads which means these aren't needed globally
+    // but we really should change that behavior.
     window.graderTypes = new CMS.Models.Settings.CourseGraderCollection();
+    window.graderTypes.course_location = new CMS.Models.Location('${parent_location}');
     window.graderTypes.reset(${course_graders|n});
-    window.graderTypes.course_location(new CMS.Models.Location('${parent_location}'));
     
     $(".gradable-status").each(function(index, ele) {
         var gradeView = new CMS.Views.OverviewAssignmentGrader({