With his contract renewal pending, Clinton City Schools assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, Dr. Mark Duckworth, has announced his plans to resign, effective June 30, with the intentions to pursue retirement options.

Terrace Miller, assistant superintendent for human resources, confirmed the resignation and plans Wednesday.

“Dr. Duckworth has resigned to pursue retirement effective June 30, 2016,” Miller replied, when asked to confirm Duckworth’s announcement.

Duckworth was hired July 2014 on a two-year contract. That contract will expire June 30, but board members have not been asked about extending that contract or discussed their intentions to extend the contract at recent meetings.

“Dr. Duckworth has provided valuable leadership within our curriculum and instruction department over the past two years,” Clinton City Schools superintendent Dr. Stuart Blount said. “We are thankful for his leadership, dedication to our student achievement and wish him well with his future endeavors.”

In the two years Duckworth has been working for Clinton City Schools, the system has seen improvements in student performance and school growth.

Under Duckworth’s guidance, the school district has demonstrated significantly improved performance, with the district performance composite increasing from 53.2 percent to 59.2 percent proficient. The performance composite is a measure of how well our students performed on both the End-Of-Grade and End-Of-Course tests.

According to Duckworth, there has also been noted improvement in the number of Federal Annual Measurable Objectives (AMOs) that have been met with the current measure at 80.6 percent. These AMOs address several factors, including the performance of the various subgroups of students within our district.

“Our schools have made gains in the growth performance of the students while moving our schools from the category of ‘Did Not Meet’ growth, to having two schools that ‘Exceeded Growth,’” Duckworth said. “Last year there was improvement from all schools and there were no schools with failing performance grades. We have made great strides to improve the technology available for the students of the Clinton City Schools, as we are now a Google district.”

This alignment, Duckworth noted, has allowed Clinton City Schools to have unlimited data storage space while saving the district approximately $1 million personal computer expenditures.

“The selection of our district as one of only eight selected by the NC Department of Instruction to pilot the Formative Assessment Process model for statewide implementation in 2016-2017, will provide valuable insight for our students and teachers now and in the future,” Duckworth said. “The Clinton City Schools are positioned to make ongoing improvements in growth and proficiency for the near future and it is a tribute to the staff and leadership of the Clinton City Schools.”

Reach Kristy D. Carter at 910-592-8137, ext. 2588. Follow us on Twitter at @SampsonInd. Like us on Facebook.

By Kristy D. Carter

[email protected]

Dr. Mark Duckworth, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction for Clinton City Schools, has announced his plans to resign and pursue retirement options.
https://www.clintonnc.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_AIGPlan.jpgDr. Mark Duckworth, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction for Clinton City Schools, has announced his plans to resign and pursue retirement options.