Kentucky Dean to Be Next President of Accrediting Group

James G. Cibulka, the dean of the college of education at the University of Kentucky, will become the next president of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. The Washington-based group, which accredits more than half the teacher colleges in the nation, made the announcement last week.

Mr. Cibulka, 64, will replace Arthur E. Wise, a high-profile former RAND Corp. education researcher who last fall announced his upcoming retirement, on July 1.

“I am going to focus on improving the accreditation process and on making it more effective,” Mr. Cibulka said in an interview. “We’re going to maintain and strengthen...