This paper deals with the history of the Brazilian training college for elementary school teachers from the viewpoint of State educational policy and having as sources historiographical works on elementary school teacher's training colleges of several States. Founded in 19th. century those institutions initially showed a rather modest feature of elementary schools themselves with emphasis on the content to be taught. With time, however, they progressively incorporated a didatic-pedagogical content. New School movement ideas influenced them decisively changing the emphasis of their curricula to the "sciences of education". The article examines questions related to: consolidation and expansion of that College, evolution of its general and curricular organization which has reached the secondary level from the 1930's onwards until the National Education Law 9.394/96 when a higher education level was required to elementary teachers.