Local Leadership in Education Act

Local Leadership in Education Act

Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to prohibit a federal officer or employee, either directly or indirectly through grants, contracts, or other cooperative agreements under ESEA, from:

• mandating, directing, or controlling a state's, local educational agency's (LEA's), or school's academic standards, curriculum, program of instruction, or allocation of state or local resources;
• mandating a state or subdivision to spend any funds or incur any costs not paid for under ESEA;
• incentivizing a state's, LEA's, or school's adoption of any specific academic standards or a specific curriculum or program of instruction;
• conditioning the availability of financial support on such an entity's adoption of specific instructional content, academic standards, or curricula, or on the administration of assessments or tests, even if such requirements are specified in ESEA; or
• mandating or requiring states to administer assessments or tests to students.

Requires the school improvement program under part A of title I of ESEA to be carried out without regard to any requirement that a state carry out academic assessments or that LEAs and elementary and secondary schools make adequate yearly progress.

Prohibits the Secretary of Education from conditioning the provision of a statutory or regulatory waiver under ESEA on a state, LEA, Indian tribe, or school: (1) getting their academic standards approved by the federal government, or (2) administering assessments or tests to students. Makes that prohibition applicable to future and previously issued waivers.

Amends the General Education Provisions Act to prohibit a department, agency, officer, or federal employee from: (1) exercising any direction, supervision, or control over the curriculum (including its development), program of instruction, administration, or personnel of any educational institution, school, or school system or over the selection of library resources, textbooks, or other printed or published instructional materials by any educational institution or school system; or (2) requiring the assignment or transportation of students or teachers in order to overcome racial imbalance.

Amends the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to prohibit the use of Race to the Top funds to develop, pilot test, field test, implement, administer, or distribute any assessment or testing materials.