Massachusetts Education Reform Act is adopted.

Passed by the Massachusetts legislature and signed by Gov. Bill Weld, the law calls for a foundation education budget in every community, increased state aid, and the establishment of curriculum frameworks and a standardized test (later called the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System, or MCAS) as a requirement for receiving a state-certified high school diploma. The law also authorizes the establishment of “charter schools,” state-sanctioned public schools, which can operate outside the authority of local school districts or teachers’ unions. Voters abolish the MCAS tests as a graduation requirement via a referendum ballot question on November 5, 2024.