Students in the South Bend Empowerment Zone showed more progress on their ILEARN exams than students in the South Bend district.

They also did better than some of the other school corporations in the area, and better than the Indiana state average.

The South Bend Tribune reports that 3 point 6 percent more Empowerment Zone students passed the English/Language Arts section, with 3 point 3 percent more passed the math portion.

Those results are happening at almost all grade levels. The Zone is about to enter the last school year of its five-year contract, and the South Bend district board is expected to vote on its future at a meeting later this month.