Why We're Failing Math and Science
The U.S. lags behind other developed countries at the K-12 level in math and science performance. What can be done to change that? Article

Schools Cancel Trips
As schools across the country confront massive budget cuts and parents face their own financial shortfalls, many field trips are getting canceled. Article

In With the New Franchisees
Usually, franchisers don’t want to gamble on young entrepreneurs, preferring those with enough capital to invest in the business. But now a host of companies are rethinking that logic. Article

Hard-Hat Path Gets Harder
In recent years, men without college degrees who found it difficult to get factory jobs have turned to construction work to climb into the American middle class. Now they are falling out of it. Article

Student Debt Grows Dramatically
Students are borrowing dramatically more to pay for college, and the ripple effects are becoming palpable, as tough loan payments may mean putting off a number of traditional milestones. Article

SAT Scores Fall as Gap Widens
SAT scores fell slightly last year, and the score gap widened between low-performing minority groups and white
and Asian-American students. Article

Texas Law Helps High-School Athletes
A Texas law could double the academic credit high-school athletes receive, stoking a debate about whether athletics should count the same as schoolwork. Article

Too Soon to Think About a Career?
With his first college semester set to begin, Isaac wonders how his course selections might affect his ability to get a job after graduation, while Steve questions his own fatherly guidance. Article

Teenage Unemployment Remains High
The unemployment rate among people ages 16 to 19 was a seasonally adjusted 23.8% in July. Traditional teenage jobs now draw competition, for example, from “stay-at-home moms looking to boost the family income to retirees seeking to supplement their pensions,” says John Challenger, CEO of Challenger Gray & Christmas, an employment firm. Article

Uphill Fight for Gun Rights on Campus
Even on an issue as divisive as gun control, states may be nearing something resembling a national consensus: Guns don’t belong in a college classroom. Article

Scoring College Applicants on Personality
Using recently developed evaluation systems, some colleges are aiming to quantify so-called noncognitive traits such as leadership, resilience and creativity. Article

They Know What She Wore Last Night
WhoWhatWear's Hillary Kerr and Katherine Power build a brand based off the power of celebrities as trend-setters and the growing power of the Web in high fashion. Article

College-Entrance Test Scores Flagging
Only about a quarter of the 2009 high school graduates taking the ACT admissions tests have the skills to succeed in college, a report found. Article

Teens Turn to Summer Start-Ups
Faced with the darkest summer-job market in decades, teens are turning to entrepreneurship. Here are a few tips for teens considering start-ups. Article

Fewer Openings in Nursing Field
The U.S. health industry is experiencing a departure from years past when the industry's rapid growth outpaced the number of nurses entering the field. Article

Extra Savings For Extra College Classes
Taking college-level courses in high school can save students time - and money - once on campus. Article

Families Appeal to Colleges for Extra  Aid
Colleges have stepped up fund-raising appeals, and dug deeper into their endowments and budgets, amid an acute demand for financial aid. Article

Weighing the Two-Year Option
Rising unemployment and a slumping economy are sending more students to community colleges -- just as budget cuts are making the influx hard to handle. Article

How I Got Into College: 6 Stories
College admissions are expected to be as competitive as ever. We've asked a range of students to share what they've learned from the application frenzy. Article

Budget Woes Force Colleges to Cut Back
As public colleges grapple with reductions in state funding, the prospect of reduced access to higher education is looking more likely. Article

Can a Test Steer You to the Ideal Career?
Vendors of career tests, which assess one's interests and abilities and link them with potential occupations, see a rising demand for them. But they're only a starting point for the tough self-exploration needed to find or revitalize one's livelihood. Article

High School's Worst Year?
The increasing competitiveness of college admissions—fueled by a demographic surge in the number of teenagers—has made junior year a crucible of academic pressure for many students aiming for elite colleges. How 11th grade became such a grind. Article

Bernanke: Recession Likely Over
Bernanke made his most emphatic declaration yet that the recession has ended, as a separate data release showed a rebound in retail sales. But the Fed chief warned of a continued soft labor market. Article

Economic Confidence Rebounds
Economists and consumers are feeling better about the economy a year after the most frightening moments of the financial crisis. Forecasters surveyed by The Wall Street Journal, giving the government generally good marks for its handling of the financial crisis, now see employers slowly adding jobs over the next 12 months. Article

Trial and Error Helped Stem Panic
A year after world economy was enveloped in a financial panic, government and business leaders believe an economic catastrophe was averted. But debate continues on which of dozens of extraordinary interventions made the biggest difference. Article

Obama's Agenda: A Mid-Year Briefing
The president’s first three months were marked by a string of successes. The next three were stormier. At this point, says Republican pollster Bill McInturff, “There’s really strong partisan support and really strong partisan opposition.” Article

Report: Protectionist Measures Rise
This weekend's U.S.-China trade skirmish is just the tip of a coming protectionist iceberg, according to a new report. Article

Man vs. Mutt
Who gets the better treatment, and what does this means for U.S. health-care reform? Article

Extra Savings For Extra College Classes
Taking college-level courses in high school can save students time - and money - once on campus. Article

Avoiding College's Plastic Hangover
The immediate gratification of using plastic to buy an iMac, tickets to a Coldplay concert and nights of bar hopping has a way of coming back to haunt college students after graduation. Article

Card Issuers Get Personal To Check Credit
Lenders have long relied on credit scores to decide whether to approve card applications and how much credit to extend and at what interest rate. Now, some big card issuers are digging deeper into their customers' personal lives. Article

A Car for $1? It's Hard to Refuse
After a generous offer from a family friend, Isaac needs to reconsider a decision that he thought he'd already made about bringing a car to college. Article

Teenage Unemployment Remains High
The unemployment rate among people ages 16 to 19 was a seasonally adjusted 23.8% in July. Traditional teenage jobs now draw competition, for example, from “stay-at-home moms looking to boost the family income to retirees seeking to supplement their pensions,” says John Challenger, CEO of Challenger Gray & Christmas, an employment firm. Article

Jackson Had 'Lethal Levels' of Propofol
Preliminary toxicology results indicate that Michael Jackson's death on June 25 was due to "lethal levels" of the anesthetic propofol in his body. Article

Coconut Water Bubble
As the bottled water business loses steam, drink makers are pouring money into campaigns for what they hope will be the next hottest drink: coconut water. Article

Americans Renew Love for Cars—Online
Scores of new automotive Web sites are being launched that cater to car enthusiasts, demonstrating that Americans’ love affair with cars is alive and well. Article

Zune Revamped
The new Zune HD offers a rich screen and a wealth of artist information, but it can't compete with iPod Touch's app offerings. Article

Rocking the New Guitar Hero
At home and with friends, reporter Lauren Goode strums her way through the new Guitar Hero 5 video game.  Article

Numbers Don't Add Up for TI Calculator
Texas Instruments is trying to inject some new life into its popular line of graphing calculators, amid growing competition from iPhones and other devices. Article

Apple Changes Leopard's Spots
Apple's Snow Leopard operating system improves upon its predecessor, writes Walt Mossberg. But it isn't a big breakthrough. Article

How Facebook Ruins Friendships
If we're not careful, our online interactions can hurt our real-life relationships, writes Elizabeth Bernstein. Article

Lost Cellphone? Carriers Have Backup
Cellphone carriers now offer services that make it easy to back up your contacts -- but details can be a little dicey. Article

New Sites Make It Easier to Spy on Friends
Armed with new and established Web sites, people are uncovering surprising details about others that often don't turn up in a simple Internet search. Though none of these sites can reveal anything that isn't already available publicly, they can make it much easier to find. Article

Mom Called and Said, 'Slow Down!'
New tech products are easing parental concerns by allowing adults to see every minute of what their kids are up to in the car – complete with GPS systems, video cameras, and weekly reports that rate driving skills. Article

How Technology Can Help Trim  Auto Insurance
For years, drivers paid less for auto insurance if they reported low mileage. Now, insurers are using high-tech devices to track customers' habits, and offering deep discounts to those who not only drive less, but also cautiously. Article

The Sports Mortgage
For the price of a three-bedroom home with a pool in a leafy suburb, you can now buy something really and truly invaluable: Your own stadium seat. Article

Cowboys Try Big-Screen Play
The massive scoreboard at the new Dallas stadium has raised a new bar for opulence -- as well as the ire of fans and kickers. Article

Is This Basketball Marriage Doomed?
As Shaquille O'Neal and LeBron James prepare to team up in Cleveland, there are some signs of turbulence ahead. Article

Cities Target Teens With Daytime Curfews | Cities across the country are imposing criminal penalties on kids who skip school to hang out at the mall or on local street corners. Article

Does Everything Change at 18? | As Isaac turns 18, he and his father discuss what it means to be considered an adult. Article

Young Drivers on the Radar
Insurers have traditionally tried to avoid teenage and young-adult drivers, but now many are targeting young drivers, hoping that it will help them retain their parents' business and gain future customers. Article

They Know What She Wore Last Night
WhoWhatWear's Hillary Kerr and Katherine Power build a brand based off the power of celebrities as trend-setters and the growing power of the Web in high fashion. Article

Mom Called and Said, 'Slow Down!'
New tech products are easing parental concerns by allowing adults to see every minute of what their kids are up to in the car – complete with GPS systems, video cameras, and weekly reports that rate driving skills. Article

How to Steer Teen Drivers to Safety Q&A