Six Specific Characteristics of Professional Learning Communities - DuFour and Eaker, 1998

1. Shared mission, vision and values: A collective commitment to the guiding principles and beliefs of the people in the school and what they want to create.

2. Collective inquiry: People in the community constantly question the status quo, taking action to improve it, and then reflecting on the results.

3. Collaborative Teams: The basic structure of the professional learning community is a group of collaborative teams that share a common purpose.

4. Action orientation and experimentation: People in professional learning communities recognize that learning always occurs in the context of taking action, and they believe engagement and experience are the most effective teachers.

5. Continuous improvement: A professional learning community is always unsatisfied with the status quo and constantly trying to improve upon it.

6. Results orientation: A professional learning community realizes that its efforts must be assessed on the basis of results rather than good intentions.