diff --git a/src/app/services/teacherProjectService.spec.ts b/src/app/services/teacherProjectService.spec.ts
index 05226c756bd..9d9b5673c83 100644
--- a/src/app/services/teacherProjectService.spec.ts
+++ b/src/app/services/teacherProjectService.spec.ts
@@ -815,5 +815,11 @@ function removeNodeIdFromTransitions() {
         expect(service.getNodeById('group3').startId).toEqual('');
       });
     });
+    describe('remove the first lesson', () => {
+      it('changes the start id of the root group to be the second lesson', () => {
+        deleteNodeService.deleteNode('group1');
+        expect(service.getNodeById('group0').startId).toEqual('group2');
+      });
+    });
   });
 }
diff --git a/src/assets/wise5/services/teacherProjectService.ts b/src/assets/wise5/services/teacherProjectService.ts
index 19526dc2cc4..b3e212bce1b 100644
--- a/src/assets/wise5/services/teacherProjectService.ts
+++ b/src/assets/wise5/services/teacherProjectService.ts
@@ -1753,7 +1753,7 @@ export class TeacherProjectService extends ProjectService {
   private updateParentGroupStartId(nodeId: string): void {
     const parentGroup = this.getParentGroup(nodeId);
     if (parentGroup != null && parentGroup.startId === nodeId) {
-      const transitions = this.getTransitionsFromNode(nodeId);
+      const transitions = this.getTransitionsFromNode(this.getNodeById(nodeId));
       if (transitions.length > 0) {
         for (const transition of transitions) {
           const toNodeId = transition.to;