Like the students they portray, the young...

Like the students they portray, the young actors of “Head of the Class” have something to celebrate this month: They’ve been promoted. They’ll be back in the fall.

That’s no small accomplishment. Of the nine series that ABC introduced last fall, only “Head of the Class” and “Sledge Hammer!” will see a second season.

Slotted Wednesdays at 8:30 p.m., the comedy about a class of gifted high school students and their offbeat teacher (Howard Hesseman) was far from a runaway success this season, but in ABC’s weak-hitting lineup it ranked as the sixth most popular series--and was 33rd in the Nielsen standings among the 104 prime-time entries of all three networks.

Starring as Hesseman’s charges are Dan Frischman, Kimberly Russell, Leslie Bega, Robin Givens, Jory Husain, Khrystyne Haje, Brian Robbins, Tannis Vallely, Daniel J. Schneider and Tony O’Dell.