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Since their inception in the 1980s, alternative certification programs have grown to account for about one-third of all new teachers certified annually (Feistritzer 2007). Examples of alternative certification programs include Troops to Teachers; Transition to Teaching; and the more recent Passport to Teaching, offered by the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence (ABCTE). Several factors have contributed to the growth of alternative teachercertification programs, including an aging teacher population, class-size-reduction initiatives, difficulties in attracting quality minority candidates to the profession, and shortages of individuals prepared to teach math, science, and special education. Despite the large and growing role of alternative certification programs, much remains to be learned about the teachers certified through these programs and their experiences after receiving certification.