Dissertation (Master of Public Administration)The study focused on academic performance in secondary schools in Tanzania taking as a case study of selected secondary schools in Dodoma Municipality. The general objective of this study was to explore factors contributing to academic performance of secondary schools students in Dodoma Municipality. A sample of one hundred (100) respondents was selected, data was collected through questionnaires, interview and documentary review. Data were analyzed by using qualitatively, quantitatively and documentary review. The study found out that the factors that affect academic performance of secondary schools in the study area were availability of classrooms, parental level of income, availability of textbooks, parental level of Education, students/teachers ratio, syllabus coverage, presence of a well-stocked library, students/teachers motivation, students/teachers contact hours, school location far distance from home, truancy and (social networks ) existing of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and WhatsApp. The study also revealed that high academic performance of secondary schools is influenced by availability of learning resources, Students/Teachers ratio, Syllabus coverage, Students/Teachers motivation, availability of qualified teachers as well as English language as a medium of instruction. The findings of the study, it is recommended that the Government should employ qualified teachers with at least first degree. Government, parents, and stakeholders need to cooperate to build school hostels. The Government should also provide satisfactory salaries to teachers. School management should seek to construct fences at schools in order to avoid truancy among students and also to establish a lunch program at school so that students may stop practice truancy.