diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/combined_open_ended_module.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/combined_open_ended_module.py
index a88acc6ffd..a35573032a 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/combined_open_ended_module.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/combined_open_ended_module.py
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ from .xml_module import XmlDescriptor
 from xmodule.modulestore import Location
 import self_assessment_module
 import open_ended_module
+from combined_open_ended_rubric import CombinedOpenEndedRubric
+from .stringify import stringify_children
 
 from mitxmako.shortcuts import render_to_string
 
@@ -140,6 +142,12 @@ class CombinedOpenEndedModule(XModule):
         # completion (doesn't matter if you self-assessed correct/incorrect).
         self._max_score = int(self.metadata.get('max_score', MAX_SCORE))
 
+        rubric_renderer = CombinedOpenEndedRubric(True)
+        success, rubric_feedback = rubric_renderer.render_rubric(stringify_children(definition['rubric']))
+        if not success:
+            error_message="Could not parse rubric : {0}".format(definition['rubric'])
+            log.exception(error_message)
+            raise Exception
         #Static data is passed to the child modules to render
         self.static_data = {
             'max_score': self._max_score,
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/combined_open_ended_rubric.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/combined_open_ended_rubric.py
index 4861a15dbc..37ce18e4f1 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/combined_open_ended_rubric.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/combined_open_ended_rubric.py
@@ -20,16 +20,25 @@ class CombinedOpenEndedRubric:
         html: the html that corresponds to the xml given
     '''
     def render_rubric(self, rubric_xml):
+        success = False
         try:
             rubric_categories = self.extract_categories(rubric_xml)
             html = render_to_string('open_ended_rubric.html', 
                     {'categories'  : rubric_categories,
                      'has_score': self.has_score,
                      'view_only': self.view_only})
+            success = True
         except:
             log.exception("Could not parse the rubric.")
-            html = etree.tostring(rubric_xml, pretty_print=True)
-        return html
+            try:
+                html = etree.tostring(rubric_xml, pretty_print=True)
+            except:
+                log.exception("Rubric XML is a string, not an XML object : {0}".format(rubric_xml))
+                if isinstance(rubric_xml, basestring):
+                    html = rubric_xml
+                else:
+                    html = "Invalid rubric.  Please contact course staff."
+        return success, html
 
     def extract_categories(self, element):
         '''
@@ -43,7 +52,8 @@ class CombinedOpenEndedRubric:
                          {text: "Option 3 Name", points: 2]}]
 
         '''
-        element = etree.fromstring(element)
+        if isinstance(element, basestring):
+            element = etree.fromstring(element)
         categories = []
         for category in element:
             if category.tag != 'category':
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/open_ended_module.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/open_ended_module.py
index 4033d140dd..824eac3639 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/open_ended_module.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/open_ended_module.py
@@ -383,7 +383,7 @@ class OpenEndedModule(openendedchild.OpenEndedChild):
         feedback = self._convert_longform_feedback_to_html(response_items)
         if response_items['rubric_scores_complete']==True:
             rubric_renderer = CombinedOpenEndedRubric(True)
-            rubric_feedback = rubric_renderer.render_rubric(response_items['rubric_xml'])
+            success, rubric_feedback = rubric_renderer.render_rubric(response_items['rubric_xml'])
 
         if not response_items['success']:
             return system.render_template("open_ended_error.html",
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/self_assessment_module.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/self_assessment_module.py
index 4a7e86e134..de842091c9 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/self_assessment_module.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/self_assessment_module.py
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ class SelfAssessmentModule(openendedchild.OpenEndedChild):
 
         rubric_renderer = CombinedOpenEndedRubric(True)
 
-        rubric_html  = rubric_renderer.render_rubric(self.rubric)
+        success, rubric_html  = rubric_renderer.render_rubric(self.rubric)
 
         # we'll render it
         context = {'rubric': rubric_html,
diff --git a/lms/djangoapps/open_ended_grading/staff_grading_service.py b/lms/djangoapps/open_ended_grading/staff_grading_service.py
index c684fa1d95..f417ca026e 100644
--- a/lms/djangoapps/open_ended_grading/staff_grading_service.py
+++ b/lms/djangoapps/open_ended_grading/staff_grading_service.py
@@ -262,10 +262,16 @@ def _get_next(course_id, grader_id, location):
     try:
         response = staff_grading_service().get_next(course_id, location, grader_id)
         response_json = json.loads(response)
-        rubric = response_json['rubric']
-        rubric_renderer = CombinedOpenEndedRubric(False)
-        rubric_html = rubric_renderer.render_rubric(rubric)
-        response_json['rubric'] = rubric_html
+        if response_json.has_key('rubric'):
+            rubric = response_json['rubric']
+            rubric_renderer = CombinedOpenEndedRubric(False)
+            success, rubric_html = rubric_renderer.render_rubric(rubric)
+            if not success:
+                error_message = "Could not render rubric: {0}".format(rubric)
+                log.exception(error_message)
+                return json.dumps({'success': False,
+                                   'error': error_message})
+            response_json['rubric'] = rubric_html
         return json.dumps(response_json)
     except GradingServiceError:
         log.exception("Error from grading service.  server url: {0}"
diff --git a/lms/static/coffee/src/staff_grading/staff_grading.coffee b/lms/static/coffee/src/staff_grading/staff_grading.coffee
index d8fcb087a6..3274f2048c 100644
--- a/lms/static/coffee/src/staff_grading/staff_grading.coffee
+++ b/lms/static/coffee/src/staff_grading/staff_grading.coffee
@@ -174,7 +174,8 @@ class StaffGrading
     @grading_wrapper = $('.grading-wrapper')
 
     @feedback_area = $('.feedback-area')
-    @score_selection_container = $('.score-selection-container')        
+    @score_selection_container = $('.score-selection-container')
+    @grade_selection_container = $('.grade-selection-container')
 
     @submit_button = $('.submit-button')
     @action_button = $('.action-button')
@@ -202,6 +203,7 @@ class StaffGrading
     @num_graded = 0
     @num_pending = 0
     @score_lst = []
+    @grade = null
 
     @problems = null
 
@@ -216,10 +218,29 @@ class StaffGrading
 
 
   setup_score_selection: =>
+    # first, get rid of all the old inputs, if any.
+    @grade_selection_container.html("""
+    <h3>Overall Score</h3>
+    <p>Choose an overall score for this submission.</p>
+    """)
+    # Now create new labels and inputs for each possible score.
+    for score in [0..@max_score]
+      id = 'score-' + score
+      label = """<label for="#{id}">#{score}</label>"""
+      input = """
+              <input type="radio" class="grade-selection" name="grade-selection" id="#{id}" value="#{score}"/>
+              """  # "  fix broken parsing in emacs
+      @grade_selection_container.append(input + label)
+    $('.grade-selection').click => @graded_callback()
+
     @score_selection_container.html(@rubric)
     $('.score-selection').click => @graded_callback()
 
+
   graded_callback: () =>
+    @grade = $("input[name='grade-selection']:checked").val()
+    if @grade == undefined
+      return
     # check to see whether or not any categories have not been scored
     num_categories = $('table.rubric tr').length
     for i in [0..(num_categories-1)]
@@ -229,8 +250,6 @@ class StaffGrading
     # show button if we have scores for all categories
     @state = state_graded
     @submit_button.show()
-      
-
 
   set_button_text: (text) =>
     @action_button.attr('value', text)
@@ -272,6 +291,7 @@ class StaffGrading
 
   skip_and_get_next: () =>
     data =
+      score: @grade
       rubric_scores: @get_score_list()
       feedback: @feedback_area.val()
       submission_id: @submission_id
@@ -285,8 +305,8 @@ class StaffGrading
 
   submit_and_get_next: () ->
     data =
+      score: @grade
       rubric_scores: @get_score_list()
-      score: 0
       feedback: @feedback_area.val()
       submission_id: @submission_id
       location: @location
@@ -303,6 +323,8 @@ class StaffGrading
     @rubric = response.rubric
     @submission_id = response.submission_id
     @feedback_area.val('')
+    @grade = null
+    @max_score = response.max_score
     @ml_error_info=response.ml_error_info
     @prompt_name = response.problem_name
     @num_graded = response.num_graded
@@ -322,9 +344,10 @@ class StaffGrading
     @ml_error_info = null
     @submission_id = null
     @message = message
+    @grade = null
+    @max_score = 0
     @state = state_no_data
 
-
   render_view: () ->
     # clear the problem list and breadcrumbs
     @problem_list.html('')
diff --git a/lms/templates/instructor/staff_grading.html b/lms/templates/instructor/staff_grading.html
index 3749a63e73..b76e753826 100644
--- a/lms/templates/instructor/staff_grading.html
+++ b/lms/templates/instructor/staff_grading.html
@@ -73,6 +73,8 @@
 <div class="evaluation">
   <p class="score-selection-container">
   </p>
+  <p class="grade-selection-container">
+  </p>
   <textarea name="feedback" placeholder="Feedback for student (optional)"
             class="feedback-area" cols="70" ></textarea>
 </div>