The Field School
Reviewing organizational structure to maximize impact.
The Field School, located in Washington, DC, is committed to cementing its position as a leading, innovative, educational institution. Driven by its student-centered approach, Field has long placed the student-teacher relationship at the center of all learning and programming at the school, supported by an organizational structure that had served the school well for many years. However, steady growth in student and faculty population, as well as a change in school leadership, suggested that a different organizational structure should be investigated. The existing organizational structure was dictated more by key people and tradition and less appropriate for the school into which Field had evolved. Like many ‘young’ schools, Field was struggling to develop the systems and processes present in more established, larger schools.
Triangle Associates had an existing relationship with the Field School, which made partnering for this project efficient and productive. Triangle’s existing knowledge of the school and its leadership team, as well as its in-depth understanding of independent school organizational structures facilitated an effective and streamlined process of analysis and recommendation. Triangle conducted a thorough review of the existing organizational structure, strategic planning documents, accreditations reports, risk assessment reports, and a school profile generated for the recently undertaken Head of School search. This data was supplemented by information gathered through one-on-one and small group interviews with various Field stakeholder groups, including board members, school administrators, and faculty members, which would ensure that any recommendations relating to the organizational structure would be aligned and consistent with the culture of the school.
The result of this data gathering was the formulation of a revised organizational structure and implementation plan that was presented to the board and school leadership. Recommendations included rationalizing lines of authority and reporting, creating a new CFO position to manage the business areas of the school, and undertaking a peer review to examine where current staffing was out of alignment with similar schools. The Field School now has the framework for an organizational structure that will maximize impact on teaching and learning as well as a detailed plan for implementing changes, ensuring the school will continue to provide innovative, student-centered programming — reinforced by a structure that will support sustainability.
