The authority for these rules is RCW 28A.657.020, 28A.657.030, and 28A.657.100, which require the superintendent of public instruction to annually:

(1) Identify challenged schools in need of improvement and a subset of such schools that are the persistently lowest-achieving schools in the state;

(2) Recommend school districts for designation as required action districts to the state board of education; and

(3) Make recommendations to the state board of education regarding the release of school districts from being designated as a required action district.