Jeff, as a practice aid, you might consider the stylus pick, as an aid in developing clean alternate stroke picking.
http://www.amazon.com/Stylus-Pick-Kit-Ultimate-Picking/dp/B006IU6ZF0
http://www.jemsite.com/forums/f30/stylus-guitar-picks-do-they-really-work-7882.html
http://www.styluspick.com/guitarpickalta.htm
Develop the skill on this (as it forces you to use "just the tip"), and then transfer to any pick you are comfortable with.