A recent guest appearing on the program was Suffolk County District Attorney James Caterson, who joined in a discussion on violence preventive tactics for schools. Also on the show was Matt Witt, the Director of Long Island World Hunger Relief, taking part in a discussion regarding world hunger relief efforts by students and their teachers. Dr. Kevin McGuire, Superintendent of Schools in Half Hollow Hills was part of a group discussing the Nassau-Suffolk booklet that celebrates innovative programs in Long Island Schools. In September of 1999 Dowling College offered its first action-research course. The graduate students developed skills in the practice of conducting action research as well as in the study of action research theory and scholarship.
Action research is a type of research aimed at changing and improving educational practice.
Arranged in eight research teams, the students conducted a series of action-research video studies designed to establish baseline data for changing and improving aspects of the preservice elementary teacher education program. The presentation was made by Joan Carlino, an actio researcher and partnering teacher of the Belmont Ave. Over 75 conference participants stopped by to discuss the data and findings of the studies. More presentations at national and state professional conferences are being planned for by the other teams of action researchers. The action research studies are part of the partnerships' overall goal to improve and reform prefessional teacher education and K-12 schooling in a coordinated and integrative manner.