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EDUCATION

New High-School Elective: Put Off College
The intense pressure that leaves many high-schoolers burned out has led more high-school guidance counselors and college admissions officers to suggest gap years. Read more

Needy Schools Turn to Parents For Funding
Public schools across the country, hurt by state- and local-government cutbacks, are tapping an alternative source of cash: Mom and Dad. Read more

Striking Against Students
Why Pennsylvania leads the nation in teacher walkouts. Read more

The Do-It-Yourself Athletic Scholarship
The landscape of athletic scholarships is changing as do-it-yourself services have emerged to allow student athletes to showcase their abilities for a fraction of the price of hiring consultants. Read more

The 'Certified' Teacher Myth
Like all unions, teachers unions have a vested interest in restricting the labor supply to reduce job competition. Traditional state certification rules help to limit the supply of "certified" teachers. But a new study suggests that such requirements also hinder student learning. Read more

K-12 Schools Slashing Costs
As state governors warn of significant shortfalls in their budgets, many schools districts are facing the biggest cutbacks they've seen in decades. And in some cases, they're already slashings. Read more

Painful Choices as College Bills Wallop Families
As the economy shrinks, many students and their parents are struggling to make payments for the second half of the academic year. Read more

U.S. Students Make Gains in Math Scores
U.S. students improved their math scores in an international test but continued to lag well behind Asian peers. Read more

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. Read more

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. Read more

Failing Our Children
Three education experts on what needs to be done in our schools, and why we haven�t done it. Read more

Economy Forces College Hopefuls to Lower Sights
The weakening economy is forcing many to consider less prestigious schools. Read more

Increases in Tuition at Colleges Slow, for Now
A decade of torrential increases in college tuition have finally abated, according to numbers released by the New York-based College Board. Read more

PERSONAL FINANCE

How to Fix Your Life in 2009
Frugality is, once again, a virtue. To help you settle into this strange new world, WSJ reporters have dug deep into their beats to offer advice that will help you make your dollars work harder. Read more

Putting Your Money Where Your Mouse Is
Consumers are growing comfortable with managing more of their financial life online, and financial-service sites are increasingly offering applications that serve those needs. Read more

Road Risks Rise as More Drivers Drop Insurance
More drivers are letting their car insurance lapse because of the sour economy, putting themselves and others at risk. Read more

Credit Crunch for Consumers
As credit-card issuers raise rates and fees and lower credit limits, consumers face higher-cost debt -- and more work maintaining their credit score. Read more

MIT Professor Explains the Crisis to the Masses
Business school professor Simon Johnson set out to make sense of the financial mess for students and the rest of us. Read more

The Bright Side: Deep Discounts From Retailers
Financial markets are in the tank, and the economy is grinding to halt -- a great time, it turns out, to shop. Shoppers can find a bonanza of deals on everything from Prada shoes to premium jeans and smart phones. Read more

Layaway Is Making a Comeback
Layaway, a payment practice that was made popular during the Great Depression but nearly became extinct due to the instant gratification of credit cards, is back in fashion thanks to the credit crunch. Read more

College Savers Stuck in Stocks as Market Falls
A rule designed to protect investors in 529 college-savings plans is preventing them from shifting to more-conservative investments as the stock market falls. Read more

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BOOKS

Readers' Recommendations: What to Read in the Financial Crisis
Wall Street Journal readers give their suggestions for what personal finance and economic history and analysis books to read right now. Read more

The 'Trophy Kids' Go to Work
In this adaptation from "The Trophy Kids Grow Up: How the Millennial Generation Is Shaking Up the Workplace," Ron Alsop, a contributor to The Wall Street Journal, describes the workplace attitudes of the millennials and employers' efforts to manage these demanding rookies. Read more

CAREERS

No-Layoff Policies Crumble
The deepening recession is prompting layoffs at long-established employers that avoided job cuts in previous downturns. Read more

Avoiding the Ax: Where the Jobs Are
While the employment landscape looks sparse right now, the outlook for 2009 isn't uniformly bleak -- and is downright bright in some recession-resistant industries. Read more

'Where'd My Job Go?'
At a time when hiring for college graduates is flat-lining, many young adults are seeing their start dates pushed back and their job offers rescinded. Read more

Economy Promises to Fuel Résumé Fraud
Practices vary for vetting prospective employees, but executives usually face tougher background checks. Read more

Job Seekers Bend Ears of Advisers, Recruiters
As the nation's unemployment rate soars, professionals who provide job-related services -- such as career coaches and executive recruiters -- say their advice is in high demand. Read more

As Layoffs Rise, Jobless Throng Career Fairs
As Americans fall victim to layoffs and downsizing, they're flocking to career fairs, causing long lines. Read more

For '09 Grads, Job Prospects Take a Dive
College seniors may have more trouble landing a job next spring than recent graduates, as employers trim their hiring outlooks in response to the slowing economy and financial-sector turmoil. Read more

WORK-LIFE

Trimming Charity Mailings
How to stop mail from random charities and minimize unwanted solicitations from nonprofits. Read more

Cyberbully Alert: Web Sites Make It Easier to Flag Trouble
Social-networking sites are making it easier to report abuses such as cyberbullying. The trend puts more tools in the hands of parents whose kids are the targets or the perpetrators of bullying. Read more

Families Cut Back on Day Care As Costs -- and Worries -- Rise
Behind the drumbeat of grim economic news, parents are pulling small children out of paid child care. Read more

Will Shop for Food: A Grocery Battle Plan
Food prices have soared and aren't likely to get cheaper anytime soon, but even in this tough terrain, it's possible to cut your food bill. Read more

Another Casualty from the Crisis: Family Time
The economic downturn is forcing many to defer dreams of striking a better work-life balance. Read more

HPV Vaccine Gaining Acceptance
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said about 25% of teenage girls received at least one dose of Merck & Co.'s Gardasil vaccine in 2007, providing the first national estimate of use. Read more

When Tough Times Weigh on the Kids
Children are silent carriers of family financial stress, research shows. They're not only keenly aware of it, but it makes them more likely to behave badly or develop emotional problems. Read more