Purchasing software license and service agreements can be daunting for any district. Greg Lindner, director of information and technology services for the Elk Grove Unified School District in California, and Steve Midgley, program manager at the Stupski Foundation, advise taking the following steps to successfully negotiate contracts.

1. Define what you want to accomplish with the software before signing the contract.
2. If a district lacks negotiation experience, turn to a consultant.
3. Remember that contracts are negotiable.
4. The devil is in the details…of how and when a district makes payments.
5. Spell everything out.
6. Don’t accept the first price they offer—usually.
7. Get vendors to base pricing on average daily attendance ( ADA).
8. Sign a multi-year contract in certain case.
9. Remember there’s strength in numbers.
10. Get information from peers.
11. Be creative and persistent in efforts to lower prices.
12. Pilot a couple of schools.
13. Be clear about the rights to your data.
14. Final Words of Wisdom…
    "Keep in mind it's not always the vendor's fault," Midgley says. "The vendor can't be responsible for everything."

For elaboration on each tip, see Technology and Learning, 14 Tips for Negotiating Software Agreements.