diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/combined_open_ended_module.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/combined_open_ended_module.py
index 957b978407..4788c43382 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/combined_open_ended_module.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/combined_open_ended_module.py
@@ -98,6 +98,8 @@ class CombinedOpenEndedModule(XModule):
         self.static_data = {
             'max_score' : self._max_score,
             'max_attempts' : self.max_attempts,
+            'prompt' : definition['prompt'],
+            'rubric' : definition['rubric']
         }
 
         self.task_xml=definition['task_xml']
@@ -371,16 +373,20 @@ class CombinedOpenEndedDescriptor(XmlDescriptor, EditingDescriptor):
         'hintprompt': 'some-html'
         }
         """
-        expected_children = ['task']
+        expected_children = ['task', 'rubric', 'prompt']
         for child in expected_children:
             if len(xml_object.xpath(child)) == 0 :
                 raise ValueError("Combined Open Ended definition must include at least one '{0}' tag".format(child))
 
-        def parse(k):
+        def parse_task(k):
             """Assumes that xml_object has child k"""
             return [stringify_children(xml_object.xpath(k)[i]) for i in xrange(0,len(xml_object.xpath(k)))]
 
-        return {'task_xml': parse('task')}
+        def parse(k):
+            """Assumes that xml_object has child k"""
+            return xml_object.xpath(k)[0]
+
+        return {'task_xml': parse_task('task'), 'prompt' : parse('prompt'), 'rubric' : parse('rubric')}
 
 
     def definition_to_xml(self, resource_fs):
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/open_ended_module.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/open_ended_module.py
index 9cdbdd54e2..b795db8228 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/open_ended_module.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/open_ended_module.py
@@ -40,8 +40,6 @@ class OpenEndedModule(openendedchild.OpenEndedChild):
 
     def setup_response(self, system, location, definition, descriptor):
         oeparam = definition['oeparam']
-        prompt = definition['prompt']
-        rubric = definition['rubric']
 
         self.url = definition.get('url', None)
         self.queue_name = definition.get('queuename', self.DEFAULT_QUEUE)
@@ -53,12 +51,12 @@ class OpenEndedModule(openendedchild.OpenEndedChild):
 
         if oeparam is None:
             raise ValueError("No oeparam found in problem xml.")
-        if prompt is None:
+        if self.prompt is None:
             raise ValueError("No prompt found in problem xml.")
-        if rubric is None:
+        if self.rubric is None:
             raise ValueError("No rubric found in problem xml.")
 
-        self._parse(oeparam, prompt, rubric, system)
+        self._parse(oeparam, self.prompt, self.rubric, system)
 
         if self.created=="True" and self.state == self.ASSESSING:
             self.created="False"
@@ -530,7 +528,7 @@ class OpenEndedDescriptor(XmlDescriptor, EditingDescriptor):
         }
         """
 
-        for child in ['openendedrubric', 'prompt', 'openendedparam']:
+        for child in ['openendedparam']:
             if len(xml_object.xpath(child)) != 1:
                 raise ValueError("Open Ended definition must include exactly one '{0}' tag".format(child))
 
@@ -538,10 +536,7 @@ class OpenEndedDescriptor(XmlDescriptor, EditingDescriptor):
             """Assumes that xml_object has child k"""
             return xml_object.xpath(k)[0]
 
-        return {'rubric': parse('openendedrubric'),
-                'prompt': parse('prompt'),
-                'oeparam': parse('openendedparam'),
-                }
+        return {'oeparam': parse('openendedparam'),}
 
 
     def definition_to_xml(self, resource_fs):
@@ -553,7 +548,7 @@ class OpenEndedDescriptor(XmlDescriptor, EditingDescriptor):
             child_node = etree.fromstring(child_str)
             elt.append(child_node)
 
-        for child in ['openendedrubric', 'prompt', 'openendedparam']:
+        for child in ['openendedparam']:
             add_child(child)
 
         return elt
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/openendedchild.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/openendedchild.py
index 5d69323e4a..4a81703919 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/openendedchild.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/openendedchild.py
@@ -127,6 +127,9 @@ class OpenEndedChild():
         self.attempts = instance_state.get('attempts', 0)
         self.max_attempts = static_data['max_attempts']
 
+        self.prompt = static_data['prompt']
+        self.rubric = static_data['rubric']
+
         # Used for progress / grading.  Currently get credit just for
         # completion (doesn't matter if you self-assessed correct/incorrect).
         self._max_score = static_data['max_score']
diff --git a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/self_assessment_module.py b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/self_assessment_module.py
index 88c47f92ef..7050ff991b 100644
--- a/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/self_assessment_module.py
+++ b/common/lib/xmodule/xmodule/self_assessment_module.py
@@ -33,8 +33,6 @@ log = logging.getLogger("mitx.courseware")
 class SelfAssessmentModule(openendedchild.OpenEndedChild):
 
     def setup_response(self, system, location, definition, descriptor):
-        self.rubric = definition['rubric']
-        self.prompt = definition['prompt']
         self.submit_message = definition['submitmessage']
         self.hint_prompt = definition['hintprompt']