Title II of the "Higher Education Act of 1965" ("HEA"), as amended in 2008 by the "Higher Education Opportunity Act," requires states to report annually on key elements of their teacher preparation programs and requirements for initial teacher credentialing, kindergarten through 12th grade. "Title II News You Can Use" is a series of issue briefs on key data collected through the Title II "HEA" data collection. This issue brief provides information on the characteristics and trends of alternative teacher preparation programs. Highlighted findings include: (1) Alternative programs offer a different pathway to earn an initial teaching credential; (2) Nearly one-third of teacher preparation programs are alternative programs; (3) Texas leads the nation in offering the most alternative teacher preparation programs; (4) Alternative programs produce proportionately more teachers in high-need subject areas; (5) Alternative programs tend to attract a more diverse group of teaching candidates; and (6) The landscape for alternative teacher preparation program accountability is changing.