This document presents an overview of the frameworks developed for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) at grades 4, 8, and 12 in reading, United States history, geography, mathematics, and science. The critical elements of NAEP framework material for the five subject areas are brought together for planning and policy formation purposes. The overview is organized by content and cognitive dimensions. The content dimension specifies the knowledge and skills of major strands within subject areas, while the cognitive dimension specifies the thinking processes expected of students as they encounter specific content. In addition to the objectives for the subject areas and their descriptions, charts showing the relative emphasis of the content and cognitive domains within the relevant subject areas are provided. Each assessment framework includes a presentation of special studies designed to explore alternative assessment methods. Background material on the development and purposes of the NAEP is provided, along with discussions of NAEP innovations that span subject areas. Six figures and 11 tables illustrate the discussion. (Contains 7 references.) (SLD)