Member Schools CORE Butte

Program Sponsor
Butte County Office of Education

Communities Served
CORE Butte serves k-12 students in its sponsoring county of Butte.

Program Overview
CORE Butte was established in 2007 as a California public charter school sponsored by the Butte County Office of Education.

The Personalized Learning method followed by CORE has its roots in the homeschool movement, where, for decades, parents have privately tailored learning for their children according to their individual needs and preferences.

When we ask “Why Personalized Learning?” we are really asking two questions.

Why do we call this method of education Personalized Learning?
Secondly, why would someone choose Personalized Learning for his or her student?

Why do we call this method of education Personalized Learning?
Personalized Learning is an approach to education that tailors learning according to the individual needs of each student. The Personalized Learning approach to education has evolved over the past decade through the growing public charter school movement in California, and incorporates many of the latest educational research results as to how children learn successfully.

The Personalized Learning system of education followed by CORE is a unique, blended classroom and non-classroom-based public educational model that is tailored to the needs and interests of each individual student. Personalized Learning is a 21st century, "on the leading edge" approach to public education that honors and recognizes the unique gifts, skills, passions, and attributes of each child. Personalized Learning is dedicated to developing individualized learning programs for each child with the intent to engage each child in the learning process in the most productive and meaningful way to optimize each child's learning potential and success.

The key attributes that comprise the Personalized Learning model are based upon a solid foundation of the latest educational research findings as to how students learn most successfully, including a strong emphasis on parental involvement, smaller class sizes, more one-on-one teacher and student interaction, attention to differences in learning styles, student-driven participation in developing the learning process, technology access, varied learning environments, teacher and parent development programs, and choices in curriculum programs. No other educational model offered in today's public education system has integrated these proven educational research results in such an in-depth and comprehensive manner to serve the diverse needs of today's public education students.

Why choose the PL approach offered by CORE for your student?
Because education research confirms beyond any semblance of doubt that not all students are able to learn successfully at the same pace, with the same approach, in the same environment, on the same path, and in the same style and manner. Research confirms that every individual assimilates information according to his or her own unique learning style, need, and interest. Learning styles vary. Some people are visual learners, others learn by auditory means, others kinesthetically. Some people learn at a faster pace, others need more time. Some people are distracted when trying to learn in a noisy environment with 30+ other kids. Some people feel intimidated or unsafe in a large classroom environment. Motivation to learn varies significantly from student to student as do interests and passions.

CORE recognized that Personalized Learning is a leading, "21st Century" educational approach that incorporates the results from the most recent leading education research studies. In congruence with these research results, CORE honors every student as an individual, with a distinct learning style, learning pace, learning path, and learning aspiration. Research confirms that children look to their parents as their primary role models for learning. Parents, in turn, are ultimately responsible for guiding their child's learning and education. CORE embraces parent involvement and participation in their children's education and learning process, and values ongoing teacher development training. We support a collaborative relationship between parent, student, teacher, and school in creating an optimal learning process. We also support a variety of learning choices and opportunities, both within and beyond the classroom, to address each student's individual learning needs and optimize each student's learning potential.

How it works?
Parents, students and teachers team together for success. At the time of enrollment, a credentialed teacher works with the family to conduct a pre-enrollment interview and define Independent Study requirements along with the student's educational goals. Curriculum options are discussed, including computer-based or more traditional methods. Graduation requirements and college or vocational goals are reviewed. A plan is then established that integrates California State content standards with the desired methods and approaches to learning.

Resources are loaned to the student and must be returned at the end of each school year. CORE also has materials available in a library to augment the curriculum. Parents are provided with a budget to provide out side instruction from local community vendor course instructors (VCI.) A Vendor Course Instructor (VCI) is a person or facility that provides tutoring, music lessons, physical education facilities, etc. and has been approved by the school to provide services to its students. All VCI's have gone through the process of fingerprinting as required by the State of CA and have completed the essential paperwork to be a provider.