Despite many debates concerning teaching certification, little empirical research exists that examines the effects of certification on student achievement. This study uses the nationally representative Early Childhood Longitudinal Study--Kindergarten Cohort from the National Center for Education Statistics to test for the effect of alternative certification on achievement. Net of all factors, alternative teacher certification is not shown to significantly affect student achievement. This study adds important empirical knowledge to the existing body of research on teacher effects, achievement, and school sector.