Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual model on students' academic achievement that is well grounded in the academic research in the domain. The paper aims to weave together the divergent research findings into a comprehensive model for use by all the stakeholders. Design/methodology/approach: It is a literature review-based paper wherein research papers on the factors that influence the academic achievement of the students were studied. The empirical evidence from literature that fits the context of this study was analyzed and used to propose a workable model. Findings: A framework to understand the role of factors affecting students' academic achievement was proposed. It was found that school leadership and climate together affect the academic achievement of the students, but mediated by the involvement of the parents of the students. Research limitations/implications: As this paper is a literature review, a framework on the determinants of academic achievements of the students has been proposed but yet to be tested empirically. Practical implications: The schools leadership and the policy-makers can effectively leverage the findings of the study to enhance the academic achievement of students in a school context. Originality/value: There are few research-based studies on the determinants of the academic achievement of students. This paper has identified key variables which play a significant role in helping enhance academic achievement of the students.