Saint Paul Highland Park Middle School (HPMS) proudly offers the International Baccalaureate Program (IB) Middle Years Program (MYP), which became an official program for our middle school students in 2011. The IB MYP is a rigorous international program that is student-centered as it builds on what students know (constructivism) and actively involves them in their own learning. Students are asked to pursue open-ended inquiry and real-life investigations both locally and globally. IB MYP is for all middle school students. Worldwide, IB is offered in more than 2,300 schools in 131 countries.

The Mandarin Immersion Program at HPMS offers a rigorous and engaging instruction in modern Chinese (Mandarin) and has been a program at HPMS since the 2017-18 school year.  It offers a unique opportunity for students to prepare for changing world conditions and increased language requirements so they are ready for the Mandarin Immersion program at Highland Senior High School. Chinese culture is an integral part of the program. It is designed for students who have completed elementary Mandarin Immersion Programs and want to continue to improve their Chinese through the immersion approach. Chinese Immersion language arts and science classes are offered in each of the middle school grades. Currently, there are 50 students, in grades 6 – 8, enrolled in the Mandarin Immersion program at Highland Park Middle School, and are served by two full-time Mandarin Immersion staff.