Title I federal funds are disbursed based on the poverty level of the student population, to ensure that all children have an equal opportunity to get a high-quality education and meet the state's challenging academic content standards.

Title I status does not necessarily mean that a school's students perform poorly. The governor recently released a list of more than 100 Title I schools that met and sustained their AYP (average yearly progress) growth target for three consecutive years. (The list of achieving schools in PDF format is available from the California Department of Education's Web site).

However, if your middle school has been designated as underperforming and in need of improvement for three consecutive years, then the district must give parents the option to transfer their children to another public school or public charter school, and must pay the transportation costs. You'd have this option during the open enrollment period that state law requires districts to offer to all students. You need to contact your district to find out when this enrollment period is.

I assume that if your son receives special resources, he has an IEP and is in a resource room. You'll want to investigate the resource room and special education services at his designated middle school. If you can document that the school won't be able to meet his needs, then you could also press for a transfer based on his IEP.