Special education teachers enrolled in a Virginia-based alternate route certification program were surveyed to determine if they perceived the program was valuable for creating effective special educators, and the focus of the study was on the effectiveness of alternative route programs for teacher preparation. The literature review showed scant research existed regarding the effectiveness of alternate route special education programs. A sample of alternate route special education teachers rated their perceptions of the preparation they received, based on state and national standards and the extent the program met their needs. Findings showed participants perceived the program was highly effective in preparing them to become special education teachers in addition to participants noting high satisfaction with the program.