The purpose of this study was to determine what educational leaders' actions influence the degree of employee engagement within a Special Education Department of a large urban elementary school. Specifically, the action research team measured the outcomes of actions from the lens of special education leaders and special education employees. Researchers sought to determine what actionable behaviors leaders employed to create engagement among the staff members. Using action research cycles, three thematic findings emerged from the study. Intentional and authentic connections surfaced as the first theme. These connections were meaningful both between colleagues as well as between colleagues and leaders. Educators interact more frequently with direct colleagues than further removed leaders. Understanding this data support the second theme of tiered hierarchal support of engagement. Data indicated that employees understand that engagement may look different depending on the leader's level in the hierarchy; however, they wanted the engagement not to represent something else the leader must check off a list of tasks. The final theme of reflective practices encompassed understanding an individual's role in supporting engagement within a school. These findings support that school leaders must be purposeful in fostering employee engagement within their schools and align their efforts with documented employee needs. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]