diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/foldit_module.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/foldit_module.py
index 2be8fd5990..ea16fee7f1 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/foldit_module.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/foldit_module.py
@@ -112,14 +112,9 @@ class FolditDescriptor(XmlDescriptor, EditingDescriptor):
     js = {'coffee': [resource_string(__name__, 'js/src/html/edit.coffee')]}
     js_module_name = "HTMLEditingDescriptor"
 
-    @property
-    def always_recalculate_grades(self):
-        """
-        The grade changes without any student interaction with the edx website,
-        so always need to actually check.
-        """
-        return True
-
+    # The grade changes without any student interaction with the edx website,
+    # so always need to actually check.
+    always_recalculate_grades = True
 
     @classmethod
     def definition_from_xml(cls, xml_object, system):
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/x_module.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/x_module.py
index 9e52eacaed..07b9d3653e 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/x_module.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/x_module.py
@@ -515,6 +515,16 @@ class XModuleDescriptor(Plugin, HTMLSnippet, ResourceTemplates):
         self._child_instances = None
         self._inherited_metadata = set()
 
+
+    # Class level variable
+    always_recalculate_grades = False
+    """
+    Return whether this descriptor always requires recalculation of grades, for
+    example if the score can change via an extrnal service, not just when the
+    student interacts with the module on the page.  A specific example is
+    FoldIt, which posts grade-changing updates through a separate API.
+    """
+
     @property
     def display_name(self):
         '''
@@ -645,17 +655,6 @@ class XModuleDescriptor(Plugin, HTMLSnippet, ResourceTemplates):
         return False
 
 
-    @property
-    def always_recalculate_grades(self):
-        """
-        Return whether this descriptor always requires recalculation of grades,
-        for example if the score can change via an extrnal service, not just
-        when the student interacts with the module on the page.  A specific
-        example is FoldIt, which posts grade-changing updates through a separate
-        API.
-        """
-        return False
-
     # ================================= JSON PARSING ===========================
     @staticmethod
     def load_from_json(json_data, system, default_class=None):