This paper attempts to blend the literature on professionalism with the literature of community, thus positing a framework for a school-based professional community. Sociologists have long distinguished between occupations--even high status ones--and professions. Among the key distinctions of professionalism are: a technical knowledge base shared among all members of the profession; membership control over entry to the profession; and a strong client-orientation which emphasizes putting client needs before personal interest. The literature on community has stressed the importance of broadly shared values and behavioral norms, a sense of responsibility for the collective good, and the need for an extended relationship of caring among individuals. Blending these two literature bases into a coherent framework for school-based professional community suggests an integrated professional-community model that combines a universally applicable knowledge base rooted in the discipline of teaching with organizational factors, such as values, climate, and caring relationships. The professional-community model assumes that knowledge of organizational settings improves performance and that a sustained focus on student learning, rather than on decision-making models or teacher-centered innovation, can prove beneficial for schools. A conclusion is that a combination of both structural and human- resource conditions are necessary for the professional community to exist. (Contains 58 references.) (LMI)