Politics Unusual: 12 Elected Officials Who Get Things Done

Denise Juneau, Montana's State Superintendent of Public Instruction

The Challenge: Many of the state's lowest-performing schools are located on Indian reservations.

How She Tackled It: Three years ago, Juneau, who grew up on the Blackfeet reservation, launched Schools of Promise, a plan to boost students' test scores and encourage community involvement in education. Now teaching coaches help out in classrooms, and staff are on-site to identify students who could benefit from mental health or social services.

The Happy Result: Students in primarily American Indian schools have increased their math scores and tested nearly 50 percent better in reading proficiency.

Words to Lead By: "When you're educated," says Juneau, a Harvard grad, "you must offer others a road to success." —Hollace Schmidt