Washington, DC – James G. Cibulka, dean of the College of Education at the University of Kentucky, has been named as the next president of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). The NCATE Executive Board ratified his appointment on May 9, 2008.

Cibulka has a long and distinguished record in higher education. Prior to his service in Kentucky, he was associate dean and professor in the University of Maryland’s College of Education and served as chair of the Department of Educational Policy, Planning, and Administration. From 1972 through 1995, Cibulka was a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where he established the Department of Community Education. From 1988 to 1995, he directed the Ph.D. program in urban education at Wisconsin. From 1992 to 1995, he also served as editor of the Educational Administration Quarterly.

Cibulka started his career as an administrator for the Chicago Board of Education and as a teacher and administrator in the Model City Community Schools Program in Duluth, MN. He has authored or coauthored numerous books and scores of articles on education policy, administration, and community development.

“I am honored to serve the field in this new capacity,” says Cibulka. “ I view this as an exciting opportunity to create a stronger unified voice within our profession on teacher accreditation issues. Every young person in America deserves a teacher of the highest quality. The opportunity to become well educated is a birthright in this great nation, and a well educated citizenry is essential to our society’s future quality of life. Teacher education accreditation is a crucial quality assurance tool; it must provide the public with evidence that every educator graduating from an accredited institution is well prepared as a professional. To accomplish this goal, we must strengthen the research evidence concerning effective educator preparation and use that evidence to improve our programs. I am committed to strengthening NCATE’s partnerships with school districts, states, and policy organizations, all with a focus on improving student learning.”

Cibulka expressed his desire to strengthen professional consensus regarding the need for universal accreditation. “We will work with stakeholders to design incentives for all institutions to become accredited,” which he says “is a prerequisite for a strong profession.”

Cibulka also will focus on simplifying the accreditation process and making it more cost-effective; he says “I believe we must strive for greater efficiencies using web technology. We must incorporate more opportunities to focus on continuous improvement as a part of the accreditation process. At the same time, our goal will be to maintain, and even strengthen, rigor throughout the process.”

Sharon Porter Robinson, President and CEO of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education and head of the search committee for NCATE’s president, says, “I am thrilled that Jim Cibulka has accepted the position as the next NCATE president. I have every confidence that he will help to unite the field and will continue refinements to the NCATE process.”

Richard L. Schwab, Dean of the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut and President of the Council of Academic Deans from Research Education Institutions (CADREI), says , "I am very excited about the appointment of Jim Cibulka as the next NCATE president.  He has the academic background and experience that will enhance NCATE's leadership in providing quality assurance through professional accreditation.  As important, his collaborative leadership style, high standards and communication skills will encourage new institutions to join the organization." 

A native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Cibulka graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College in 1966 with a B.A. in government. He earned his doctorate in educational administration from the University of Chicago in 1973, with an emphasis in education policy and political science.

NCATE is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation as a specialized accrediting body for educator preparation in the United States. NCATE accredits 648 institutions with over 10,000 educator preparation programs. NCATE institutions produce over two-thirds of the nation’s new P-12 educators annually.