Journal of Management and Sustainability; Vol. 5, No. 3; 2015 ISSN 1925-4725 E-ISSN 1925-4733 Published by Canadian Center of Science and Education 107 Relationship between School-Based Variables and the Achievement Level in Secondary Schools in Ekiti State Foluso Florence Adeleke 1 1 Department of Educational Foundations and Management, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria Correspondence: Foluso Florence Adeleke, Department of Educational Foundations and Management, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria. E-mail: ffayanadeleke@yahoo.com Received: March 29, 2015 Accepted: May 7, 2015 Online Published: August 28, 2015 doi:10.5539/jms.v5n3p107 URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/jms.v5n3p107 Abstract The study found out the relationship between school-based variables (such as class size, school size, student-teacher-ratio and teachers’ qualification) and the achievement level in selected Junior Secondary schools in Ekiti State. The study adopted the expost facto research design. All secondary schools formed the population while a validated inventory was used to collect data from a sample of 30 public schools which were selected through a stratified random sampling procedure. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive (frequency count and percentage) and inferential (Pearson product moment correlation method) statistics. The hypothesis raised in the study was tested at 0.05 level of significance. The number of pupils in a cohort who complete a given educational cycle is generally accepted as a measure of its output while the repeaters and dropouts constitute wastage. The study showed that the average annual growth rate in students’ enrolment was 1.64%. Furthermore, findings showed that the average annual growth rate in class size, school size and STR were -1.2, 1.64 and -3.13 respectively. Findings also showed a higher percentage of qualified teachers employed. Degree plus teaching qualification, professional qualification plus PGDE and NCE graduates were 47.82%, 5.16% and 35.7% respectively. This forms 88.68% of the total teachers employed during the period of study. In addition, degree holders without teaching qualification and others were 8.80% and 2.52% respectively, and this forms 11.32% of the total teachers employed during the period of study. In light of the findings, it was recommended that school managers should ensure appropriate school variables to reduce the level of wastage and improve achievement level of students of secondary schools in Ekiti State. Keywords: achievement level, school-based variables, class size, school size, student-teacher-ratio, teachers’ qualification 1. Introduction Teachers, administrators, parents and the research community have been debating the relationship between school-based variables and the achievement level. This debate persists because of the powerful common sense appeal of the appropriate school-based variables to alleviate problems confronting the achievement level in Junior Secondary schools in the state. The link between the school-based variables and achievement level persists because of the tension between the research findings and the cost of implementation. According to Olatunde (2010), as school size increases, the class size also increases. The issues that should be clarified more are what need to be improved upon, what school-based variable constitute for a better performance. The researcher observed that large school size, overcrowded classrooms, unqualified teachers and students-teachers-ratio posed serious problems on the performance of students. Olatunde (2010) continued that, what number of students makes a large group and what should constitute a small group. The revised National Policy on Education specified maximum of 40 in secondary schools. However, these specifications are unrealistic in some areas as a result of dense population and shortage of classrooms. (Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004) Education as a dynamic system requires certain inputs from time to time to carry out curricular activities designed for the achievement of the systems’ goals. Bisi, Kofoworola and Adegunle (2010) reported that the government had reviewed the 6-3-3-4 system and concluded that the system has failed to meet the expectations