Jelena Obradovic
@jelenaobradovic.bsky.social
Developmental psychologist studying stress physiology, self-regulation, executive functions, and caregiving practices. Director of SPARK Lab https://sparklab.stanford.edu/. Professor @Stanford. Associate Director https://earlychildhood.stanford.edu/
Apply to work with me and my amazing colleagues Phil Fisher, Alvin Pearman, & Sean Reardon. Application link: earlychildhood.stanford.edu/postdoc
Postdoctoral Fellowship
earlychildhood.stanford.edu
October 29, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Apply to work with me and my amazing colleagues Phil Fisher, Alvin Pearman, & Sean Reardon. Application link: earlychildhood.stanford.edu/postdoc
Thank you to our partners at the SFUSD Early Education Department for their thoughtful engagement and ongoing collaboration. Thank you to @caedpartners.bsky.social; @stanfordeducation.bsky.social for funding and supporting this work. @rpp-network.bsky.social
October 27, 2025 at 6:53 PM
Thank you to our partners at the SFUSD Early Education Department for their thoughtful engagement and ongoing collaboration. Thank you to @caedpartners.bsky.social; @stanfordeducation.bsky.social for funding and supporting this work. @rpp-network.bsky.social
Findings can help teachers and parents understand how children’s PreK experiences may translate into strengths and areas in need of support, esp with the rollout of universal TK. Results also reinforce the importance of promoting attendance, especially for kids entering school for the first time! 5/
October 27, 2025 at 6:53 PM
Findings can help teachers and parents understand how children’s PreK experiences may translate into strengths and areas in need of support, esp with the rollout of universal TK. Results also reinforce the importance of promoting attendance, especially for kids entering school for the first time! 5/
Method: We used Mahalanobis Distance Matching to make children in these groups comparable based on their demographic characteristics, and found that children who started PreK at age 3 had stronger cognitive, literacy, and social-emotional skills at the end of PreK and beginning of Kindergarten. 4/
October 27, 2025 at 6:53 PM
Method: We used Mahalanobis Distance Matching to make children in these groups comparable based on their demographic characteristics, and found that children who started PreK at age 3 had stronger cognitive, literacy, and social-emotional skills at the end of PreK and beginning of Kindergarten. 4/
Second mediator: Benefits of 2 years of PreK also came from improved attendance. Children who began PreK at age 3 attended 14 more days on average during the final PreK year compared to those who began PreK at age 4. No differences in attendance when we compared each group’s first year of PreK. 3/
October 27, 2025 at 6:53 PM
Second mediator: Benefits of 2 years of PreK also came from improved attendance. Children who began PreK at age 3 attended 14 more days on average during the final PreK year compared to those who began PreK at age 4. No differences in attendance when we compared each group’s first year of PreK. 3/
First mediator: Children who began PreK at age 3 started their final year of PreK with stronger skills compared to their peers who just began PreK at age 4. Fall literacy skills were especially important–they predicted all school readiness outcomes at the end of PreK and beginning of K. 2/
October 27, 2025 at 6:53 PM
First mediator: Children who began PreK at age 3 started their final year of PreK with stronger skills compared to their peers who just began PreK at age 4. Fall literacy skills were especially important–they predicted all school readiness outcomes at the end of PreK and beginning of K. 2/
Thank you to all our partners at the SFUSD Early Education Department and the Shoestrings Children's Center, Laura Wentworth @caedpartners.bsky.social; SFUSD-Stanford Incentive Fund @stanfordeducation.bsky.social; the Stanford University Office of Community Engagement; @stanfordcec.bsky.social
July 18, 2025 at 8:17 PM
Thank you to all our partners at the SFUSD Early Education Department and the Shoestrings Children's Center, Laura Wentworth @caedpartners.bsky.social; SFUSD-Stanford Incentive Fund @stanfordeducation.bsky.social; the Stanford University Office of Community Engagement; @stanfordcec.bsky.social
Read and download the case study to discover what’s working—and what can be improved—at the child, family, teacher/classroom, and system levels. earlychildhood.stanford.edu/sfusd-shoest...
The SFUSD Shoestrings Program: A Wraparound Early Childhood Intervention to Disrupt Significant Racial Disproportionality in Discipline and Special Education
earlychildhood.stanford.edu
July 18, 2025 at 8:17 PM
Read and download the case study to discover what’s working—and what can be improved—at the child, family, teacher/classroom, and system levels. earlychildhood.stanford.edu/sfusd-shoest...