The IHP program was based on a program at Walter Reed Middle School in Los Angeles, California. Khrystyne Haje (Simone Foster) was an actual graduate of the Reed IHP program.
By the final season, Dan Frischman, Tony O'Dell and Michael DeLorenzo were all over 30 years old and playing high school students.
At the time of his departure, it was speculated that Howard Hesseman left the show for a revival of his former show WKRP in Cincinnati (1978). However, that was not the case as he didn't reprise his former role on the The New WKRP in Cincinnati (1991), which debuted in the fall after the cancellation of Los primeros de la clase (1986). Ultimately, the reasons for Hesseman's abrupt departure were never revealed. However, Hesseman did express his dissatisfaction about the direction of the show and his character's lack of development in several interviews during the show's run.
Howard Hesseman left the series at the end of season four. Sir Billy Connolly took over the lead for the fifth and final season.
Matthew Perry auditioned for the role of Alan Pinkard.