The purpose of this study was to: (a) conduct a retrospective developmental evaluation of a career and technical education (CTE) center in the midst of transformation from a two-year CTE center to a four-year high school; and (b) use the data from the evaluation to produce a case study testing Mintzberg's (2007) general theory of strategy formation in that setting. Patton's (2011) inquiry framework for monitoring and comparing progress against ideals shaped the evaluation approach. During implementation, internal and external forces ushered a drift away from the innovative student-centered design towards a more traditional high school model. The data collected for the evaluation transferred cleanly to the strategy formation case study. Patterns in behavior at the site were highly consistent with Mintzberg's (2007) theory. This research directly benefited the transformation efforts at the site and contributes a unique case study to the literature on strategy formation. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]