Various Factors have been thought of as determinates or influential elements that affect students' academicrnachievement in the schools. These many factors may be into two large categories; i.e. socio-economicrnfactors and school based factors. Although educators consider both factors as equally responsible forrnstudents' academic achievement, some writers consider economic factors as broad factors that influencernstudents academic achievement in developed countries, while school based factors considered as broadrnfactors that influence students academic achievement in developing countries.rnAccording to the result of the study conducted in 22 developing countries and reported to world bank forrndiscussion, school based factors were highly recognized as influencing factors in determining studentsrnacademic achievement in developing countries. On the other hand, the socio-economic factors were statedrnas influencing factors in determining students academic achievement in developed countries. Fuller (1998).rnBased on these empirical studies, the researcher of this paper tried to investigate whether these schoolrnfactors are liable for the current academic achievement differences observed in government secondaryrnschools of Addis Ababa. To make the study more concrete two types of schools, i.e. high and low scorerrnare identified based on their four years E.S.L.C.E results and one year E.G.S.E.C.E result.rnFour major areas of school factors, i.e, school conditions and its facilities, characteristics of schoolrnmanagement and its efficiency; teachers characteristics and teaching practices and students background andrntheir characteristics have been investigated and analyzed by different research instruments as much asrnpossiblernThe high scorer schools, found at better condition in many school based factors as compared to the lowrnscorer schools. On the other hand, some school factors become the same between the two schools andrncould not become the factors for students' achievement differences.rnSince this study compares status of school factors between the two type of schools (high and low scorer), itrnis possible to say that a comparative study has been applied in tackling this study.rnAlthough much of the analysis has been based on personal observation and interviews from variousrnsubjects and hence becomes qualitative in nature, no less part is given to make the study quantitative too,rnparticularly in analyzing various questionnaires distributed to subjects.rnTeachers, students, school principals and educational officials have been the subjects of this study.rnQuestionnaires, structured and unstructured interview, and observation have been employed as researchrninstruments.rnrnAccording the findings obtained both schools have been found different in some aspects such as teachersrnqualification, experiences, efficiency of school principals and provision of teaching materials and schoolrnfacilities in general. Although much is not investigated the academic background of students enrolled torneach type of the school under study is different. Both type of schools' students are also found different inrnterms of their interest and academic discipline they exhibit in the schools.rnSince the high scorer schools have been found at better condition in terms of the above finding differences,rna number of recommendations as to how to enrich the school facilities, how to overcome financialrnproblems at the low scorer schools have, how and when to distribute teaching materials in the school andrnhow to initiate students moral for academic performance and likes have been forwarded at the last chapter