European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 09, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday february 1990 the stars and stripes Page 7 report card grades pup7s Low in geography Washington a slightly More than half of the High school students surveyed on their knowledge of geography gave Correct responses to questions about key countries and physical and cultural features of the world the nation s report card said wednesday. In its first study of geography education the nation Al assessment of educational Progress popularly known As the nation s report card said most Stu dents demonstrated a limited understanding of the characteristics of the planet Earth and the relation ships Between people and their environment. More than 3.000 i2lh-Gradc students from about .100 Public and private schools participated in the sur vey conducted from january through May of the 1987-88 school year. An average of 57 percent of the students gave Cor rect responses Overall to questions that dealt with the location of key countries and physical and cultural features of the world the Survey showed. Geography is not a priority in most schools said the study. It pointed to a recent Survey of the Council of c Hie f state school officers that found 18 percent of the slates required geography for graduation. When it is taught geography is often integrated into other courses such As history social studies and Sci ence said the report the geography learning of High school  geography appeared to play neither a major nor a consistent role in students High school course taking geography appeared to play neither a major nor a consistent role in students High school course taking  experience said the study. Geography course taking per be was not associated with achievement a finding that was consistent across most subgroups of the  less than two thirds of the students surveyed re ported taking a geography course at any Grade in High school. But 83 percent indicated they had studied in other courses the location of continents oceans Rivers mountains states cities countries and cultures. On a world map 87 percent identified Canada. 85 percent recognized the soviet Union. 84 percent correctly identified countries in the Middle East. 72 percent identified Petroleum exporting coun tries. 71 percent successfully located latin America. But Only 37 percent were Able to locate Southeast Asia and 37 percent incorrectly responded that India is part of Southeast Asia. Thirteen percent said that i ther saudi Arabia or Brazil arc part of this cultural  is a congressionally mandated project of the National Center for education statistics at the depart ment of education. It is the Only nationally representative and continuing assessment of what american Stu dents know and can do in various subject areas. The National geographic society also helped fund the assessment. Soviets begin Fol Exchange visit of West Point grand jury indicts Ariz dentists in alleged fee fixing conspiracy a West Point Cadet right greets his counterpart from the soviet Union at the Start of a seven Day Exchange at to claims proof of new matter Newark. . A at to said wednesday that researchers at its Dell laboratories have confirmed the exis tence of  a new and much debated form of matter that could be used to improve electronic equip ment. Discovered in 1984. Quasi crystals have been the focus of some of the most intense studies in the scientific Community. While research has revealed the pres ence of quasi crystals in bulk form Bell labs provided the first glimpse of a quasi Crystal surface helping refute arguments that previous manifestations were a quirk of nature said Lionel Kimmur Ling. Who Heads Bell labs materials interface research department. West Point. . A the Long Gray line will feature a touch of red for the next week As 10 cadets and two officers from the soviet Union make a seven Day visit to the . Military Academy. The visit is part of an Exchange program with the red army. West Point cadets Are to visit Moscow s supreme soviet military Academy in March. The soviet cadets and escort officers arrived at Ken Nedy International Airport wednesday afternoon in route to West Point about 50 Miles North. For the next week each soviet Cadet will be assigned to Shadow an american counterpart through classes. Calisthenic marches meals and even in sleep Accord ing to military spokesman Ray  be even put Vlra Beds in the Barracks Aalbue  Hope is that the soviets will get a glimpse of a democracy s military ethics and How the . Army operates. The two soviet officers will meet Academy officials and observe the cadets. West Point already has students from 34 other coun tries. Philippines Gen. Fidel Ramos and former Nicara Guan dictator Anastasio Somoza were West Point Grad  cadets also have the Opportunity to spend two weeks at a foreign military Academy in one of More than 30 countries. The soviet Exchange was proposed by soviet Gen. Dmitri Grinkevich the chief of staff of soviet ground forces when he visited West Point last year to observe training. By the los Angeles times Washington in the first criminal crackdown on alleged medical Price fixing in More than 50 years a Federal grand jury indicted three dentists and two dental corporations wednesday on charges of conspiring to fix co payment fees of four prepaid dental plans in Tucson Ariz. The indictment marked the first charges to result from a new investigative emphasis placed on the burgeon ing health care Industry by James f. Rill the head of the Justice depart ment s antitrust division. Price fixing among competitors is a crime Rill said in announcing the grand jury s action. Doctors enjoy no immunity from this Well settled  Federal criminal antitrust charges were last brought in the medical Field in 1938 when the department of jus Tice charged the american medical association the medical society of the District of Columbia and others with conspiring to Boycott physicians who worked for a prepaid group health organization. In wednesday s action the grand jury charged three dentists Aaron l. Lanoy Alston Ronald d. Walker and Richard b. Meyer and dental corporations operated by Alston an Walker with a conspiracy in violation of the Sherman act s ban on unreason Able restraint of Trade. The defendants arc alleged to have conspired with others to fix and raise the co payment fees paid by members of four prepaid dental plans. Co pay ments Are fees required to be paid by plan members to dentists who provide services covered under the plan schedule of benefits. A dentist who decides to become a provider for a plan receives a monthly payment for each employee who is a member of the plan and has selected that dentist. The dentist receives the monthly payment regardless of whether the member of the plan requires dental care. The grand jury charged that the defendants agreed on higher co payment fees to be paid to them and to co conspirators by the members of four pre paid dental insurance plans