Defending State Authority Over Education Act of 2015

To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to prohibit Federal mandates, direction, or control, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Defending State Authority Over Education Act of 2015 2. Voluntary partnerships Section 1111(k) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 6311(k) Except that the Secretary shall not attempt to influence, incentivize, or coerce State participation in any such partnerships. 3. Specific limitations Section 9401 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 7861 (1) by redesignating subsections (e), (f), and (g), as subsections (f), (g), and (h), respectively; and (2) by inserting after subsection (d) the following new subsection: (e) Specific limitations The Secretary shall not require a State educational agency, local educational agency, or Indian tribe, as a condition of approval of a waiver request, to— (1) include in, or delete from, such request, specific academic standards; (2) use specific academic assessment instruments or items; or (3) include in, or delete from, such waiver request any criterion that specifies, defines, or prescribes the standards or measures that a State or local educational agency or Indian tribe uses to establish, implement, or improve— (A) State academic standards; (B) academic assessments; (C) State accountability systems; or (D) teacher and school leader evaluation systems. . 4. Prohibition against Federal mandates, direction, or control (a) In general Subpart 2 of part E of title IX of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 7901 et seq. 9526A. Prohibition against Federal mandates, direction, or control (a) In general No officer or employee of the Federal Government shall, directly or indirectly, through grants, contracts, or other cooperative agreements, mandate, direct, or control a State, local educational agency, or school’s specific instructional content, academic standards and assessments, curricula, or program of instruction, nor shall anything in this Act be construed to authorize such officer or employee to do so. (b) Financial support No officer or employee of the Federal Government shall, directly or indirectly, through grants, contracts, or other cooperative agreements, make financial support available in a manner that is conditioned upon a State, local educational agency, or school’s adoption of specific instructional content, academic standards and assessments, curriculum, or program of instruction even if such requirements are specified in an Act other than this Act, nor shall anything in this Act be construed to authorize such officer or employee to do so. . (b) Clerical amendment The table of contents for the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 9526 the following: Sec. 9526A. Prohibition against Federal mandates, direction, or control. .

Summary: Defending State Authority Over Education Act of 2015 Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to prohibit the Secretary of Education from attempting to influence, incentivize, or coerce a state to participate in a voluntary partnership with another state to develop and implement academic content and achievement standards and assessments. Prohibits the Secretary from conditioning the approval of a state's, local educational agency's (LEA's), or Indian tribe's request for a waiver of ESEA statutory or regulatory requirements on such an entity: (1) including in, or deleting from, such request, specific academic standards; (2) using specific academic assessment instruments or items; or (3) including in, or deleting from, such waiver request any criteria used to establish, implement, or improve state academic standards, academic assessments, state accountability systems, or teacher and school leader evaluation systems. Prohibits any federal officer or employee from directly or indirectly mandating, directing, or controlling a state's, LEA's, or school's specific instructional content, academic standards and assessments, curricula, or program of instruction, including through the placement of conditions on financial support.