The Swift River School School Committee hosted a public forum on standardized testing Thursday evening. Sharing information about standardized testing was one of the goals of the forum during the planning stages, according to Johanna Bartlett, school committee chair.

Town officials and school committee members from Wendell and Union #28, Hatfield, Longmeadow, Holyoke and Gill-Montague schools attended, as well as parents from local and surrounding towns. Students attending included the student council president of Swift River School.

The Presenting panel was led by Bartlett and MASC Executive Director Glenn Koocher, and also included parents, teachers and school administrators. The forum would help clarify the differences between the MCAS and PARCC tests, according to Koocher. Students spoke on tape regarding their experiences with testing to begin the discussion, which moved afterwards to a question and answer period, and wrapped up with idea sharing and suggestions for moving forward.