Shepard Middle School’s mission is to provide a premiere educational environment where all students acquire knowledge, skills and values necessary to live enriched lives as productive members in a global community. Their goal is to support an integrated studies program, centered on their magnet themes – forensics and law-related education, technology and foreign languages.

Shepard Middle School is an International Baccalaureate school. The goals of the International Baccalaureate Programme are to help students develop into adults who are confident, critical and independent thinkers with a global perspective. IB seeks to be a transformational form of education focused on individual learner profiles and centers learning on problem solving and real world, global challenges. Students develop world language and intercultural communication skills. Peer-reviewed research suggests that students who attend IB programs have more developed critical thinking skills, global awareness and are more likely to successfully attend college.