Teacher Education Through The Years

Founded as the Cumberland Valley State Normal School in 1871, the school was officially recognized and approved by the Pennsylvania Commonwealth on February 21, 1873. During the entirety of the late-19th century, Shippensburg campus consisted of one building, Old Main, where every class, dorm room, dining hall, and other services were housed. By the turn of the 20th century, expansion of the school benefited its reputation for an accredited teacher school. 

Line Drawing of Old Main, Circa 1879

1912 would mark the beginning of teacher education instruction at the Cumberland Valley State Normal School, as it made its way into the school's official curriculum. Known as Gilbert Hall, the fifth official building on campus, it was originally named the Model School, due to its purpose of being a training school in elementary education. It would be named the Adult Education School till 1946, where it will halt its operations for teacher education.

Model School, also known as Gilbert Hall, Circa 1925

On June 4, 1926, the school was authorized to allow Bachelor of Science degrees for elementary and junior high education to any graduate on campus. With its success rate higher than anticipated, Shippensburg was the first normal school to be chartered as a state teachers college on October 12, 1926. On June 3, 1927, the State Council of Education authorized the changing of the school's name to the State Teachers College at Shippensburg. By December 8,1939, Shippensburg became the first teachers college in the state - and fourth in the United States - to be accredited by Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

In 1959, the State Council of Education approved graduate work for a Master's in Education at Shippensburg. Education services and instruction in the field of teacher education remained steady during the Cold War years, as other programs in Arts and Sciences and Business emerged within the college-wide curriculum. This remained constant through the turn of the 21st century. The success rate and turn out of students enrolled in teacher education courses and services for a Bachelor's or Master's in education has continued to increase throughout the 2000s.

 2019-2020 Academic Year Education Recognition Award

Today, the utilization of the Grace B. Luhrs University Elementary School (built in 2001) has modeled the expression of teacher education and preparation for higher education students, continuing the tradition of the university since the 1920s. Shippensburg University is one of many universities in Pennsylvania to hold an on-campus public elementary lab school, preparing college students with real-world experience and hands-on training in public elementary education while receiving their degrees in education.

Front Entrance to Grace B. Luhrs University Elementary School