The study is described which compared school-related self-perceptions of ability of 29 gifted and 71 average-achieving intermediate students over a 2-year period. The Student's Perception of Ability Scale was administered at the beginning and end of grade 6 and at the end of grade 7. The scale contains six subscales: perception of general ability, perception of arithmetic ability, general school satisfaction, perception of reading and spelling ability, perception of penmanship and neatness, and confidence in academic ability. Significant group effects were found for the full scale and for all subscales except school satisfaction and penmanship/neatness. A virtual lack of significant group by time interaction effects indicated relative stability in self-perceptions of ability over the 2-year period for both groups. (Author/CL)